What you win
Status: Planned (programme)Status: Pending counsel
The top 5 of a Humanathon season become Fellows and win a prize, a 10-week stipend, an anchor-backed raise on Merces and intros. Places 6 to 15 become Finalists. Everyone who finishes leaves with proof: a verified season record.
A programme, not software
Humanathon is a programme that Merces runs, with rules and events. It is not part of the Merces software, and entering never obliges anyone to raise. Programme rules marked as planned may change before the season opens.
The three outcomes
| Outcome | Who | Prize | Stipend | Raise | Also |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fellows | Top 5 overall, at least 1 per core track | Yes | 10 weeks | An anchor-backed raise on Merces, opening 1 week after Proof Day | A 2-week draft window with accelerators and funds |
| Finalists | Places 6 to 15 | Yes | No | No raise in Season 1. A fast-track into the next raise window after 90 more days of monthly proofs | The draft window |
| Finishers | Everyone who completes the season: 6 of 6 proofs | No | No | Eligible for Season 2 with their record | An on-chain season record you can link anywhere |
Prize amounts and stipends are announced as partners confirm. None is published here. Prizes and the fellowship take no equity.
The fellowship terms
- Non-dilutive. No equity, and no claim on any Human Equity Unit (HEU) held by Merces or by sponsors.
- The Fellow owes output, not ownership. A public weekly log, one shipped artifact every 2 weeks, and a demo at the end.
- The stipend is paid every 2 weeks in stablecoin, for 10 weeks, and stops if the log stops.
Status: Status: Planned (programme)
The draft window
For 2 weeks after Proof Day, accelerators and funds book time-boxed intro slots with Fellows and Finalists. They buy access, not the person. A company deal that follows is a separate agreement, outside Merces. For partners describes the Accelerator and Fund Partner tier.
The raise
Fellows may raise on Merces. The raise is optional, anchor-backed, and open only once a written legal opinion clears it: Status: Pending counsel. The raise for Fellows has the draft terms. Finalists do not raise in Season 1; after 90 more days of monthly proofs they can open a raise in the next window, so the oracle has more history on them before any backer money rides on it.
What you keep whatever happens
Every Finisher keeps a verified season record and can enter Season 2 with it. The landing page's answer to "What if I don't win?" is the whole rule: you keep a verified record, and you can enter Season 2 with it.
What can go wrong
- Prize and stipend amounts depend on partner funding and are not yet announced.
- The stipend stops if the public log stops.
- A raise needs a legal opinion first and may open only in some countries, or not at all in Season 1, in which case the season is grant-only: prizes and fellowships as planned, raises moved to Season 2.
- Fraud found after the season can mean prize clawback and a suspended raise.