Get a Job Offer with Annual Salary of 5.5 Million Yen or More! PR TIMES Opens Applications for Hackathon Targeting 2027/2028 Graduates

PR TIMES Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takumi Yamaguchi; TSE Prime and Nagoya Premier: 3922), which operates the press release distribution service 'PR TIMES' and other services, will hold the 'PR TIMES HACKATHON 2026 Summer' for three days from Wednesday, August 12, to Friday, August 14, 2026, at its headquarters (Akasaka Intercity). The event is for students aspiring to be engineers graduating in 2027 or 2028*.

The first application deadline is Sunday, July 5, 2026, at 23:59. Applications open today, Tuesday, June 2, via the form below.

*Eligible students include those from universities, graduate schools, junior colleges, vocational schools, and colleges of technology.

Apply here

Product Development in the AI Era: Testing Thinking and Drive

The era of generative AI handling code writing has arrived. The speed and quality of implementation have changed significantly, and simply being able to 'write code' no longer provides a clear advantage. Consequently, the ability to ask questions independently and drive projects forward has become more important. This involves defining what to build, identifying user problems, aligning the team's direction, and moving forward. It is the ability to connect technology with business and continuously face unanswered questions.
This hackathon also encourages the use of AI. By using AI to increase implementation speed, participants can focus on defining 'what to build' and making decisions as a team to move forward. This process is an experience close to real product development and is the very practice required of future engineers.

Three Days of Team-Based Development of PR TIMES Products!

The PR TIMES Hackathon is a job-offer-linked hackathon event that has been held since 2016, aiming to recruit new graduates for the company's development positions and provide growth opportunities for engineering students striving to improve their skills. Based on multiple perspectives, including the technical skills demonstrated at the hackathon and HR evaluations, winners of the Individual Award will receive a job offer based on mid-career hiring standards with an annual salary of 5.5 million yen or more.

The PR TIMES Hackathon is planned and operated mainly by engineers who joined the company through this very hackathon. Because they have experienced the hackathon themselves, they understand the specific points where participants tend to stumble, and they create an environment that allows participants to maximize their output within the limited time.

This time, participants will work in teams on the development of PR TIMES products based on a theme announced on the day of the event. The program involves thinking from scratch about what to build, and carrying out the entire process from planning and design to implementation and presentation. The theme is deliberately announced on the day so that participants can experience the process of questioning 'what to build' from the very beginning, just like in actual product development.

Comments from Previous Participants

- It was interesting to have the opportunity to interview actual sales staff, which allowed us to proceed with a clearer image of real-world scenarios.
- We were able to solve problems from both technical and business perspectives, and with the support of mentors, we experienced smooth and speedy development without getting stuck.

About PR TIMES HACKATHON 2026 Summer

Schedule

This hackathon will be held for three days from Wednesday, August 12, to Friday, August 14, 2026, at PR TIMES headquarters*. The schedule leading up to the event is explained below.

*For participants coming from a distance, the company will cover round-trip transportation costs and accommodation expenses during the hackathon (with some upper limits). After applying, the company will provide details to eligible participants.

Pre-event Briefing for Confirmed Participants to Boost Your Start

A briefing session will be held for those confirmed to participate on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 14:00. This session will explain the company overview, the hackathon schedule, and the evaluation criteria in detail.

Although the theme will be announced on the day, please use this session as an opportunity to learn about PR TIMES' business and customer challenges. This will help participants get a flying start from the moment they hear the theme.

*If you cannot attend the pre-event briefing, a recording will be shared with you.

Network with Fellow Engineers through Team Development and Social Gatherings

On the three days of August 12 (Wed), 13 (Thu), and 14 (Fri), participants will come to the PR TIMES Tokyo headquarters office. After the pre-selected team members are announced, participants will split into their teams for ice-breaking activities to get to know each other. Following this, each team will proceed from design to development and final presentation.

Mentoring by Active PR TIMES Engineers

During design and development, each team will be assigned one or more PR TIMES engineers who can be freely asked questions or consulted.
On the final day, after the presentations and awards ceremony, a social gathering will be held. Participants can interact with PR TIMES engineers and freely discuss engineering careers and other topics.

About Awards

Individual Award

The 'Individual Award' will be selected based on multiple perspectives, including the technical skills demonstrated at the hackathon and an HR evaluation conducted through individual interviews on the second day. Winners will receive a job offer for a development position at PR TIMES for their graduation year (2027 or 2028) based on mid-career hiring standards with an annual salary of 5.5 million yen or more.

*Depending on the results, multiple individuals may be awarded, or there may be no recipient.

*The individual interview is planned to inquire about participants' current activities and career aspirations.

Team Award

The 'Team Award' will be selected based on the technical level, concept, and completeness of the developed work. The winning team will receive practical, selectable prizes. Details of the prizes will be announced later.

How to Apply

1. Apply via the Application Form (First Application Deadline: Sunday, July 5, 2026, 23:59; Second Application Deadline: Sunday, July 26, 2026, 23:59)

Please fill in the required information in the form below and apply. The application form requires a resume and a URL where your technical output can be verified (e.g., GitHub, Qiita, Zenn).

https://tayori.com/f/prtimes-hackathon-2026-summer-entry

*The URLs of your technical output will be used as reference for team formation. We may also contact you to reconfirm the content.

*If your technical output cannot be verified, your participation may be declined.

2. Confirmation of Participation and Chat Tool Invitation from PR TIMES

After the secretariat confirms the information provided in the application form, we will send you a confirmation of participation and an invitation link to the chat tool via email.

*We will contact you regardless of whether you pass the preliminary screening.

3. Join the Chat Tool