The joint Ooredoo-UNDP Hackathon 2019 announced six winning teams recently. Around 200 participants competed in this year’s competition, striving to develop new prototypes and business models over an intensive two-and-a-half-day competition hosted concurrently in Yangon and Mandalay from 18 to 20 October.
28 teams competed in the junior competition, intended for students and newcomers to the Hackathon. The winning teams are Team Glorious from Mandalay (Winner of Rural Development), Team MYLP 2K18 from Yangon (Winner of Education), and Team F from Yangon (Winner of Climate Change), with their mobile apps Sein Lan, Nyan-San, and Weather Smart, respectively.
“This is my first-time experience for participating in the Hackathon. I’m very happy and excited for my participation. I did expect that I would be the winner since the beginning. I am ready to work harder in the future,” said by Wai Lin from Team MYLP 2K18 (Winner of Education, Junior Level).
21 teams competed in the advanced competition, designed for start-ups and previous Hackathon participants. The Advanced winning teams are Team Agri Light from Yangon (Winner of Rural Development), Team Twee Twee from Yangon (Winner of Education), and Team Innovatory from Yangon (Winner of Climate Change), with their mobile apps Kyay Lat Pay, Twee Bot, and Sein, respectively.
Ms. Khine Su’s previous experience at the Hackathon 2018 has been unforgettable, leading her to challenge again by joining Team Twee Twee (Winner of Education, Advanced Level) this year.
“I have been participating in the technopreneurship contests for three years. But, this is the first experience for the other members in my team. The competition is intense with a lot of efforts. We didn’t expect much to win the award. I am very proud that we made it, “said by Khine Su from Team Twee Twee (Winner of Education, Advanced Level).
The panel of judges included renowned professionals both from local and international organizations in the areas of rural development, education and climate change in Myanmar.
The participants were assessed based on their programming and business planning skills that contribute to improving the lives of people and accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as teamwork and communication. The winning junior team received 30 Lakhs in cash – and the advanced team won 60 Lakhs – in addition to in-kind professional and technical development support available for each winning team.
Immediately following the award ceremony, Ooredoo-UNDP announced the launch of the new Innovation Hub. Daringly decorated and fabulously framed in the centre of the Ooredoo Headquarters in Yangon, the Hub is a dedicated facility providing a package of acceleration, mentorship and incubation support based on global good practices to young entrepreneurs.
Winners and runners up will be invited to an intensive incubation programme facilitated by the Innovation Hub. The participants expressed their excitement about the Hub, envisioning a cradle of innovation where they nurture their dreams by collaborating and upscaling their skills and brands, eventually growing into successful social enterprises. The Hub will help them respond to a range of development challenges to promote sustainable peace and achievement of SDGs in Myanmar. The participants will have a chance to experiment not only with the themes of the Hackathon series – rural development, education, climate change and women’s empowerment – but also with emerging opportunities for health, governance and financial services.
Both Ooredoo and UNDP acknowledged that this event is about more than just prizes. Mr. Rajeev Sethi, CEO of Ooredoo Myanmar said, “With around 200 developers taking part, The Hackathon 2019 has been a resounding success showcasing the talent, dedication and intellectual abilities of the best of Myanmar’s youths. Without exception, all the participants should be proud of their achievements over these intense 2 and a half days. We today also announce the launch of our Innovation Hub supporting the UNDP SDGs here in our Ooredoo Yangon office. Up to 80 developers will be given space, mentorship and training over the course of the next one year to help them grow and become pioneers of the Myanmar’s digital future.”
“Innovation continues to play an increasingly critical role for the achievement of the SDGs and Myanmar’s youth are at the centre of developing new innovations. I am hopeful that the Innovation Hub, launched today, will provide a creative space for innovative ideas and approaches for Myanmar’s youth so they can contribute towards tackling Myanmar’s development challenges. I am encouraged with all of the ideas that were presented here today, and especially look forward to seeing the launch of the winning products next year,” added Ms. Dawn del Rio, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP.
The Hackathon 2019 hosted around 200 participants selected out of around 300 applicants from 12 cities across Myanmar. The Hackathon is a special initiative of Ooredoo Myanmar and UNDP to promote and scale up digital innovation and entrepreneurship amongst the youth in Myanmar. It aims to provide a platform for Myanmar’s youth to showcase innovative ideas to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Myanmar through digital innovation.
