Building NexusSaaS: A Monetized AI Micro-API Gateway with FastAPI

# Building NexusSaaS: A Monetized AI Micro-API Gateway

💼 Hacktoberfest 2026 Week 2 Submission: Commercial AI / Side Hustle

For Week 2 of the Hacktoberfest 2026 DEV Challenge, I built NexusSaaS—a lightweight, monetization-ready micro-API gateway using FastAPI that validates API subscription keys and tracks token usage for a developer-focused tool.

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🚀 What I Built

An asynchronous FastAPI backend featuring API key authentication headers, tiered access control, and usage metering designed to be packaged as a commercial developer tool.

AnkanJU / Hacktoberfest2026

Monorepo for Hacktoberfest 2026 projects, DEV.to AI Challenges, and Open-Source backend implementations.

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• Tech Stack: Python 3.13, FastAPI, Uvicorn, Pydantic.
• Theme Alignment: Side Hustle / Monetizable Developer API.

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💡 Why Micro-SaaS APIs Matter

Building modular, API-first microservices allows developers to easily prototype commercial products, test subscription mechanics, and manage secure header authentication locally before deploying to cloud infrastructure.

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🏃 How to Run Locally

bash
# Clone repository
git clone [https://github.com/AnkanJU/Hacktoberfest2026.git](https://github.com/AnkanJU/Hacktoberfest2026.git)
cd Hacktoberfest2026/dev-challenge-week3-saas

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run server
uvicorn main:app --reload