Save the date: Kiro Spark Challenge (April 24)

Calling all human-centered designers, artists, and engineers! Compete in an accelerated AI challenge where you’ll build career-ready skills by creating real products.

Arizona State University is proud to partner with Kiro, offering ASU students a full year of access to the Kiro Student tier, including 1,000 credits per month. Developed by AWS, Kiro is an IDE that helps you do your best work by bringing structure to AI coding through spec-driven development, turning ideas into working applications by planning projects and generating code.

To celebrate ASU's partnership with Kiro, Enterprise Technology is hosting a Kiro Spark Challenge, a 1-day creative design challenge where teams told bold ideas into real digital products while showcasing your creative and technical talent. Work in interdisciplinary teams of 3 to design and build an application in just 24 hours using Kiro, tackling a challenge prompt revealed live on April 24. Gain access to the Kiro IDE and mentorship from Kiro and Toptal—global talent network connecting companies with top creatives—to accelerate your path from concept to product.

Schedule

• 8:30am | Check in
• 9:00 am | Opening address
• 9:30 am | Teams announced
• 10:00 am | Mentorship begins with Kiro and Toptal

• 5:00 pm | Mentorship ends with Kiro and Toptal

   

• 6:00 pm | Evening hack (teams are free to depart to preferred work area)
• 11:59 p.m. | submission due online

Breakfast, lunch and evening snack provided!

Prize tracks ($10k+ in prizes!)

Compete for multiple technical and creative prize tracks (announced live on April 24) by submitting your Kiro solution along with a pre-recorded pitch demo for our expert jury panel by 11:59 p.m. MST on April 24.

Track winners will be announced at a virtual closing ceremony to follow; one top team will also receive a guaranteed interview with AWS and Toptal!

How to apply

Applications open April 1

Solo applicants should apply between April 1 - April 10 to be matched with other participants based on experience and problem interests. To ensure teams are cross-disciplinary, this challenge prohibits pre-teaming.

Teams of three will be intentionally formed to reflect interdisciplinary collaboration—bringing together developers, artists, communicators, and other complementary skills to mirror a balanced professional team. Team lineups will be announced live on April 24.

Tool access and training

Individuals who apply to the Kiro Spark Challenge beginning April 1 will receive access to the Kiro IDE between April 10–23 and are expected to attend one upskilling workshop before the live event on April 24. 

Kiro workshops offered:

• April 6, 1–3 p.m. (Zoom, RSVP for link)
• April 8, 4–6 p.m. (Zoom, RSVP for link)
• April 10, 9–11 a.m.  (Zoom, RSVP for link)