A wide spectrum of creative digital and technological solutions presented in the Hackathon’s seven challenge categories
Qatar Development Bank’s (QDB) most inclusive hackathon to date successfully concluded on Sunday, October 3 with a major turnout, attracting over 300 applications from local entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers who shared their ideas and solutions for today’s most relevant challenges across the event’s seven industry-specific themes.
The ideas presented by participants meshed well with the event’s core concept of building a national platform that encourages and celebrates creativity and innovation in the event’s seven major themes, namely, sportstech, fintech, healthtech, fashiontech, digital transformation, manufacturing, and sustainable mobility with 5G. QDB received a diverse range of competitive applications, setting the Hackathon on the right track for excellence.
QDB’s CEO Mr. Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Khalifa expressed his pleasure with the quality and potential of the participating projects, reaffirming the Bank’s intention to hone the winning ideas through QDB’s incubators and programs. He added: “By concluding this successful event, we are kickstarting the exciting journey of the winning projects, which we will continue supporting in a multitude of ways. And with the hundreds of applications received, the Hackathon has achieved and exceeded its set goals, whether in creating an atmosphere that celebrates innovation and creative competition, supplying Qatar’s entrepreneurship ecosystem with new ideas, innovators, and creators, or stimulating smart and digital solutions in key sectors of the economy.”
The Hackathon honored the promising work of ten winning teams across the event’s various challenge themes, namely, Bubbari, Steps, eHaris, Feelix Technologies, Analystech Technologies, Blue Filter, BenePay Ltd, Game Right, Swap On, and A Smokeless Exhaust Tube.
The Hackathon’s participants presented innovative solutions that covered a wide spectrum of technological excellence from fintech solutions to various projects in sportstech, fashion, and design.
The winning projects will be leveraging QDB’s wider support ecosystem and the incubators operating under its umbrella, including Qatar Business Incubation Center, Qatar SportsTech, Qatar Fintech Hub, Scale 7, Factory One, and QBIC Fab Lab, in addition to Ooredoo’s Digital & Beyond Incubator. Furthermore, each winning team will receive a cash prize to further develop their idea with the support of prominent mentors and coaches as well as access to investment and support services that include training, networking opportunities, and more.
QDB organized the Hackathon in collaboration with a diverse suite of local and international institutions that included Ooredoo as the incubation partner, Workinton Qatar, Amazon Web Services, Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar Shell, Qatar University through its Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Alurays Middle East Lighting Technology, Qatar Science & Technology Park, Nautica, NavBuddy, Juego Football, Texas A&M University, Microsoft, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Queen Hospital, Uber, Fatoora, Ernst & Young, StartupBootcamp, Aspire Zone, Fashion Technology Accelerator Milan, College of the North Atlantic Qatar, and Rome University of Fine Arts.