MIT Hacking Medicine MalaysiaDiabetes XEverything you need to know.
The hackathon is free. The summit is ticketed. Everything else is below.
What is MIT Hacking Medicine Malaysia?
A summit and a hackathon on early-onset diabetes, held together over four days at the M World Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
What is the theme?
Diabetes: prevention, early detection, risk prediction, patient engagement, digital health, AI, and improving care for younger people.
Who can participate?
Doctors, nurses, researchers, students, engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, data scientists, public-health professionals, patients and caregivers.
Do I need medical or technical experience?
No. The hackathon is built around collaboration, and diverse perspectives are the point. You do not need a finished product or even a formed idea — bring your curiosity, your experience and a willingness to work on a real healthcare problem.
Do I need a team before registering?
No. Register on your own and we will place you in a team before the hackathon starts.
What happens during the hackathon?
Identify a problem, form a team, understand the user, develop an idea, prototype it, take mentorship, pitch the solution. That is the MIT Hacking Medicine method and it has run more than three hundred times.
What challenges can teams work on?
Early detection of diabetes risk, screening and prevention, AI and predictive analytics, wearables and remote monitoring, youth health and behaviour change, nutrition and lifestyle, primary-care screening, patient education, access and affordability, and personalised prevention.
Is the event only for people from Malaysia?
No. Participants from Malaysia and from anywhere else are welcome.
How much does it cost?
Entering the hackathon is free. Tickets are sold for the summit only.
Is there a student ticket?
Yes, for the summit: RM 350 with proof of enrolment on the day.
Can I attend the summit without joining the hackathon?
Yes. Buy a summit ticket and come on the Monday.
What will I get out of taking part?
Expert mentorship, real healthcare innovation experience, and pitching experience in front of a room that can do something about it.
Will there be mentors and judges?
Yes. MIT alumni alongside local professionals in the field.
Are there prizes?
Yes, prizes for the winning teams — and a chance to be included in the Grand Hackathon at MIT in Boston in 2027.
What should I bring?
A laptop, a charger, identification and a notebook.
Will food be provided?
Yes. It is a full-day event: breakfast, lunch and a tea break each day.
Can patients, caregivers or people living with diabetes take part?
Yes, absolutely. Lived experience is how a team finds a genuine unmet need instead of guessing at one.
How is intellectual property handled?
Ideas and prototypes created during the event are owned solely by the team that develops them — unless the team takes investment from an investor, in which case the IP is shared between them.
Will my idea be kept confidential?
Confidentiality, photography, presentations and public pitches are governed by our policy, and NDAs are signed where they are needed.
Can I keep developing my project afterwards?
Yes, and we would rather you did. There are routes into incubation, mentorship, partnerships, funding and follow-up.
Is this an official MIT event?
Yes. It is an official MIT Hacking Medicine event, and a few standout participants will be chosen for the Grand Hackathon at the MIT campus in Boston in 2027.