The FinTech industry has made slow but steady progress in increasing the number of startups founded by women. HiPipo, together with other partners has prepared another epic hackathon for female innovators, developers, techpreneurs to leverage this chance to bring their ideas to life.

In 2021, around six teams shared a prize share of USD 10,000 including other benefits that came with being a part of the event, hackathon, and the grand summit.

When?

Interested participants from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan will register for the virtual round between 17th and 26th August while Ugandan participants will submit their entries from 20th to 29th August.

Onboarding

The 2022 edition will kick off with a virtual East African round that will have participants from across the region taken through daily training and assessment for 5 days (29th August to 2nd September), with the top team from each country automatically qualifying for the grand finale to be held in Kampala.

Plot

HiPipo, through its Include Everyone Program, HiPipo identifies, analyzes, and promotes trends and innovations in Digital Financial Services (DFS).

The hackathon will introduce participants to useful tools and offer an introduction to technologies such as Mojaloop Open-Source Software, and guidance from Level One Project foundational material. The skills gained from this initiative will cover Level One Project principles, Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS), inclusive finance, and fintech in general.

In September 2020, ModusBox partnered with HiPipo to bring together 15 Teams of female-led FinTechs to participate in the Women in FinTech Hackathon to mar the first edition. Last year, over 17 teams were shortlisted to participate in the Hackathon.

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Who?

The hackathon is open to women-led teams of 2 to 4 members, with each team having at least 67 percent female composition.

Application

To get started, visit the official application page here. If you have inquiries, please email; [email protected]

Prizes & Benefits

  • Networking with fellow Developers and Facilitators from across the World. Mentorship from Industry Players and Business Leaders.Access to the latest infrastructure and technology.Up to USD 10,000 Prize Money to be shared by the winning teams.Fully paid 90 days Incubator Program for three top teams.

Organizers?

HiPipo is a leading digital age organization with operations covering Digital, Financial Inclusion, Inclusive Finance, Events, Awards, and Music.

HiPipo’s thoughtful Women Inclusion program is the main driver for this hackathon. However, HiPipo has efforts and the commitment of its partners: Level One Project, Mojaloop, ModusBox, and Crosslake Technologies, plus the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 2022 Women in FinTech Hackathon seeks to close the Gender Gap in Access to Technology, Skills, and Usage of Digital Financial Services. 

Conclusion

Personally, I was privileged to be a part of the second edition where my team drew in the top five contenders. I believe it’s going to be big and better this time given some new partners like CyberPLC Academy joining them.

So ladies, go and be crowned FinTech Queens by HiPipo!