The AI4Tarayana Challenge 2026, a hackathon jointly organized by the Gyalpozhing College of Information Technology and the Tarayana Foundation, concluded successfully with a vibrant closing ceremony graced by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck at the GCIT campus in Thimphu.
Held under the theme “Empowering Rural Communities with AI,” the challenge brought together 24 teams of young innovators from it was within the collegeacross Bhutan to develop practical, technology-driven solutions addressing real challenges faced by rural communities. The initiative was supported by Bond Capital Singapore and Bhutan Insurance Limited as part of the broader Tech Tarayana collaboration between GCIT and the Tarayana Foundation.
Following an intensive two-day development and mentorship phase, the top 10 finalist teams advanced to the final pitching round. Participants worked closely with technical and business mentors from GCIT and the Tarayana Foundation to refine their ideas before presenting them to a distinguished panel of judges representing GCIT, the Tarayana Foundation, and Bhutan Insurance Limited.
The competition highlighted the growing potential of artificial intelligence to create meaningful social impact in Bhutan, particularly in areas such as education, communication, environmental monitoring, and disaster resilience.
Top Three Winning Teams
𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟑 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Aplos Lab- A multilingual AI model with text and voice capabilities to bridge digital exclusion and preserve Bhutanese languages.
Strata- Developed Stella and Hourglass, AI tools for land, housing risk assessment, and satellite-based environmental insights.
Mebar Labs- Created Lhakgay, an AI-powered reading app promoting equitable access to learning resources for rural students.
The top three teams received cash prizes of Nu. 100,000, Nu. 75,000, and Nu. 50,000 respectively, while the remaining finalist teams were also recognized for their participation and innovative contributions.