Terms of Service

BuildElo ("we," "us," "BuildElo") is a competitive hackathon platform where solopreneurs stake entry fees, build real products inside time-boxed windows, and compete for prize pools. These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a contract between you and BuildElo. By creating an account, entering a hackathon, or otherwise using the platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) and legally able to enter a binding contract. You must provide accurate account information, keep it current, and not share your credentials. One account per person.

2. Accounts & Membership Tiers

Some features require a paid Builder Basic or Builder Pro subscription, billed monthly via Stripe. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time from your settings. Subscription fees are charged in advance and are non-refundable for the then-current billing cycle. Downgrades take effect at the end of the current cycle.

3. Entry Fees & Prize Pools

Entering a paid hackathon requires payment of the listed entry fee. Entry fees are pooled with other participants' fees to form the prize pool. BuildElo retains a 10% platform fee from each prize pool; the remainder is distributed to winners according to the hackathon's announced payout structure.

4. Refunds & Cancellations

You may withdraw from a hackathon and receive a full refund of your entry fee up until 12 hours before the hackathon starts. Once the build window begins, entry fees are non-refundable. If a hackathon is cancelled by its host or by BuildElo before the build window starts, all entry fees are refunded in full.

5. Honor Code & Integrity

You agree to build your submission yourself, within the announced time window, using only assets and tools permitted by the hackathon's rules. You will not submit work built primarily before the start time, plagiarize others' work, coordinate with reviewers, or manipulate peer-review scores.

BuildElo analyzes submitted GitHub repositories for signals of integrity (commit timeline, authorship, cadence, and others). Submissions flagged for integrity issues may be disqualified. Review quality is analyzed with automated tooling; reviewers caught gaming the system may lose ELO and access to the platform.

6. Peer Review

Reviews are anonymous and binding. You must submit reviews in good faith, follow the minimum feedback length, and meet the per-hackathon review quota (typically 50% of other submissions) to be eligible for prizes. Sharing guest credentials or otherwise impersonating another reviewer is prohibited.

7. Payouts & Redemptions

Winners receive platform credits equal to their payout amount. Credits can be redeemed via supported payment methods (PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, bank transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency), subject to processor fees and minimums. Payouts begin in a 24-hour pending window during which disputes can be raised; once confirmed by an admin, the redemption is final. You are responsible for any taxes owed on prize winnings.

8. Hosted Hackathons

Builder Basic and Builder Pro members may host hackathons subject to monthly caps. As a host you are responsible for the rules, judging criteria, and conduct of your hackathon, and you agree to comply with these Terms and BuildElo's policies. We may remove or modify any hackathon that violates these Terms.

9. Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of the code and content you submit. By submitting, you grant BuildElo a limited license to display your submission (title, description, demo, and public repo URL) on the platform for the purpose of running the hackathon, computing scores, and showcasing winners. You are responsible for ensuring your submission does not infringe third-party rights.

10. Prohibited Conduct

You may not: reverse-engineer the platform; use the platform for illegal activity; harass or threaten other users; submit malware or malicious links; attempt to bypass rate limits, paywalls, or access controls; or create multiple accounts to manipulate ELO, reviews, or prize pools.

11. Disclaimer

BuildElo is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee uninterrupted service, correctness of ELO calculations, or that any submission will win any prize. Participation in hackathons is at your own risk.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, BuildElo's total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid BuildElo in the 12 months before the claim, and (b) $100. We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or punitive damages.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account for violation of these Terms, fraudulent behavior, or other risk to the platform. You may close your account at any time from settings. Outstanding redemption requests will be processed; unused subscription time will not be refunded.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or an in-app notice at least 14 days before taking effect. Continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms? See our support page.