Two weeks ago, we open-sourced [**LFM2**](/content/blog/liquid-foundation-models-v2-our-second-series-of-generative-ai-models/index.html) the most powerful Small Language Model (SLM) available today. A week later, we launched [**LEAP**](https://leap.liquid.ai/?utm_source=liquid-website&utm_medium=blog-post&utm_campaign=leap&utm_content=general), making it radically simple to deploy these models at the edge — anywhere from phones to laptops, as easily as calling an API.

Now, we’re passing the torch to you.

At Liquid, we’re all-in on a future where small, fast, purpose-built models run right on your own hardware. Whether it’s your smartphone, a Raspberry Pi, or your trusty ol’ ThinkPad, you shouldn’t need to ping a hyper-scale data center just to ask a question.

But this isn’t just about performance. It’s about **ownership**. We believe developers and users alike deserve control — over their models, their data, and their workflows. Not every task requires a trillion-parameter black box scraping the cloud. Sometimes, the best model is the one that does exactly what you need… and nothing more. This shift enables complex, domain-specific, even multi-agent systems to become efficient, interpretable, and radically affordable.

To accelerate this new wave, we're launching the [**Liquid Hackathon Series**](https://hackathons.liquid.ai/?utm_source=liquid-website&utm_medium=blog-post&utm_campaign=hackathon&utm_content=general):

- A biweekly global competition for building private, local-first AI apps that put users back in control
- Each round features **$10,000 in prizes**
- **‍** Leverage a dedicated space to experiment with how model design, hardware, and deployment can be reimagined from first principles
- Our first hackathon kicks off this **Monday, August 4**.

### The theme?

**Hack 01: Take back control.**

This is your shot to build with LFM2, Liquid’s next-gen small model, and LEAP, our edge-native deployment engine. Together, they let you ship AI that’s private, real-time, and local—running where it matters most: on your device.

We’ve built the tech. Now we want to see what _you_ take back.

- Your privacy?
- Your workflows?
- Your on-device UX?

### **Join the Liquid Hackathon. Build something that’s truly yours →** [**hackathons.liquid.ai**](https://hackathons.liquid.ai/?utm_source=liquid-website&utm_medium=blog-post&utm_campaign=hackathon&utm_content=general)