BIA Hackathon set to speed up Qatar’s knowledge economy

This year’s edition tackles challenges in digital transformation across 5 industry-specific themes

QATAR Development Bank is inviting entrepreneurs to share their creative ideas and solutions to propel Qatar’s knowledge-based economy by joining its Business Incubation and Acceleration (BIA) Hackathon.

This year’s edition tackles challenges in digital transformation across 5 industry-specific themes, namely Fintech, SportsTech, FashionTech, Enabling Customers Experience, and Operational Solutions for Digital Transformation.

Participating teams must have at least one of their members residing in Qatar, unless they are competing in the FinTech category, which will be open to applicants from around the world to pitch their solutions to the outlined challenges.

Individual applicants may also join the hackathon for the opportunity to team up with other participants.

Qualified applicants begin their journey on Thursday, June 15 with two days of workshops to form teams, test ideas, build business models, and prepare the pitch before the jury panel on the final day.

Winners, who will be announced by the end of June, will have the opportunity to pursue their entrepreneurial journey. Top teams will receive a pre-investment award of up to 25,000 Qatari riyals to continue developing their ideas, as well as potential access to early-stage investment and support services.

Winners will also have direct access to QDB’s incubation and acceleration programs, including its network of local and international coaches to help them build prototypes and launch startups.

Throughout the hackathon, Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) will be overseeing projects that leverage digital design and cutting-edge programming to transform operations for businesses and consumers while the Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) will support startups in the financial technology sector push boundaries and drive innovation, both locally and globally.

Qatar SportsTech (QST) will be responsible for leading projects focused on sports technology and its challenges, while Ooredoo’s Digital & Beyond Incubator will supervise digital solutions on how to improve and develop customer experience through telecommunication and digital services. The Scale 7 Incubator, on the other hand, will be responsible for overseeing FashionTech and design solutions.