Kuala Lumpur, 15 September 2022 – Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), the wholly-owned unit trust management company of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), and Jewel Digital Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (JDV), the wholly-owned subsidiary of PNB to spearhead its digital business strategy, today launched a joint digital hackathon, Hack-A-Tech 2022. Co-organised with 1337 Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (1337 Ventures), Hack-A-Tech 2022 is a three-day virtual hackathon that will be held from 14 to 16 October 2022 with the aim to encourage innovation and software development in financial technology (FinTech). The final demo day on 29 October 2022 will focus specifically on FinTech ideation and development.
The Hack-A-Tech 2022 event will bring FinTech leaders and technology partners to collaborate with talents from various disciplines. The challenge is divided into two categories namely:
● Open Track: Open to developers, product designers, first-time hackathon participants, students, and university or innovation labs to improve or introduce new digital functionalities, features, and product offerings.
- Advanced Track: Open to start-ups interested in integrating and co-creating new products and services.
According to Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of ASNB, Muzzaffar Othman, “The Hack-A-Tech event will be an exciting platform for us to encourage and invite strategic partnerships or collaboration with the FinTech industry. ASNB is proud to play a key role in the lives of Malaysians seeking to protect and grow their wealth for themselves and future generations having been in the industry for more than 40 years. We remain customer-focused, continuously optimising customer experience with the help of technology that personalises product offerings or services”.
Chief Technology Officer of JDV, Azrul Rahim said, “JDV prioritises innovation at the core of everything we do as we believe in staying ahead of the curve by preparing for the future. The ecosystem players can be an excellent trove of knowledge and information in how we can develop products or services even better as we promote the development of cutting-edge technologies”. Azrul added that exploring concepts, tools or approaches to solve problems with all participants and deliver products in addition to learning from the Hack-A-Tech event are most anticipated.
During the event, participants need to disrupt the FinTech landscape, and the winning teams will stand a chance to win up to RM391,000. The top three teams in the Open Track will receive RM10,000, RM5,000, and RM3,000 respectively. Meanwhile the top three teams in the Advanced Track will receive RM50,000, RM10,000, and RM5,000 respectively. Top start-ups from the Advanced Track may also be awarded grants of up to RM100,000 each to help them further develop their solutions.
Participants may participate in the Hack-A-Tech 2022 event individually or as part of a team of two or three members. Throughout the event, all participants will learn about the state of the Fintech landscape through a series of topical workshops, ideate using design thinking, and hack to create a prototype that addresses a Fintech problem statement. Key industry leaders from the public and private sectors will host office hours and mentoring sessions.
Founding Partner of 1337 Ventures, Bikesh Lakhmichand, added that “The hackathon is intended to bridge the gap between start-ups and corporate entities in Malaysia. We hope to attract innovative problem solvers who will shake up the financial sector, while also encouraging corporates to tap into disruptive entrepreneurial innovation from start-ups or aspiring founders.”
The Hack-A-Tech 2022 is supported by the Fintech Association of Malaysia (FAOM), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Microsoft and UNIRAZAK, who will bring significant values in assisting start-ups with advisory, technical and productivity tools support. Participation in the virtual hackathon is free and the closing date for registration is 1 October 2022.
For more information on Hack-A-Tech 2022, visit:
Hack-A-Tech 2022 web page: https://www.hackatech.my/
Hack-A-Tech 2022 registration: https://bit.ly/Hack-A-Tech-registration
Hack-A-Tech 2022 terms and conditions: https://bit.ly/Hack-A-Tech-TnC
