IADS Developer Hackathon

The IADS Developer Hackathon aims to bring together international banking industry and FinTech firms to collaborate on creating cutting-edge, secure and customer-consented solutions. By leveraging IADS the initiative aims to accelerate digital transformation within Hong Kong’s banking sector.

Key goals are to:

• Foster Collaboration – Strengthen partnerships between the banking sector and FinTech companies to develop secure and customer-centric solutions.
• Encourage Innovation – Inspire creative thinking through the Hackathon, with guidance from mentors at IADS participating banks.
• Recognise Excellence – Highlight outstanding solutions that show the value of customer-consented data sharing in driving financial transformation.
• Accelerate Development – Promote the creation of data-driven services that benefit retail, corporate and SME customers, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a leading international financial centre.

• FinTech firms based in Hong Kong or overseas.
• Individual teams intending to incorporate.

** Registration will open on 2 October 2025. Interested teams may prepare in advance but can only submit materials when the registration period begins.

To join the Hackathon, teams must:

1. Register by submitting the registration form and required documents by
   23 October 2025 (Thursday) , 15:00 (HKT)

    

2. Submit initial proposal by
   5 November 2025 (Wednesday), 15:00 (HKT)

    

3. Submit final solution materials by
   13 February 2026 (Friday) , 15:00 (HKT)

What Needs to be Submitted?

* Applicants who do not receive mentor matching will be considered unsuccessful in Round 1.

Note: The timeline is subject to change. Participants will be informed of updates via email.

The IADS Developer Hackathon offers a unique opportunity for innovators to co-create impactful solutions with industry leaders. Participants will have an opportunity to gain valuable exposure, mentorship, and access to platforms that support business growth and recognition.

Participant benefits:

• Professional Coaching – Guidance and feedback from experienced banking professionals throughout the Hackathon.
• Showcase Opportunities – Selected teams will be invited to present solutions at the IADS Developer Conference in March 2026, gaining visibility among industry stakeholders.

Winners benefit from the following opportunities:

• Asia Market Entry Support – Gain HKSTP’s Global Connect membership and fast-track application to join a 12-month soft landing programme targeted at startups for scaling up businesses in Asia.^#
• Business Development Support – Build relationships with investors, corporates, and business associations through HKSTP’s network.
• Brand Promotion – Showcase winning solution via video display on the IADS Developer Hackathon webpage.
• Future Exposure – Receive potential invitation to pitch and present solutions at future events hosted or supported by co-organising organisations.

^# HKSTP’s Global Connect offers firms the opportunity to access Asia markets. The soft-landing programme provides a grant of up to HKD 100,000 for scaling up a business in Hong Kong, subject to milestone achievements. For more details, please refer to the programme’s website here.

Note: The supporting organisations reserve the rights of final decision and interpretation for all the opportunities offered.

The Hackathon consists of three rounds, with evaluations conducted for each objective category.

Round 1: Initial Screening

• Relevance to IADS: Solution's direct applicability to IADS.
• Innovation and Originality: Uniqueness and creativity of the solution.
• Commercial Viability: Market potential and clear value proposition.
• Team Capability: Experience and expertise of the founding and technical teams.

Round 2: Solution Materials Assessment

Shortlisted teams will submit a maximum 3-minute demo video and supporting documents, and will be evaluated on:

• IADS Applicability and Impact: Relevance to the hackathon objectives and potential to transform banking services.
• Solution Design and Innovation: Scalability, security, user experience (UX), and technical creativity.
• Business Potential: Go-to-market strategy, target audience, and overall value proposition.

Round 3: Final Pitch and Q&A Session

Finalists will present to the judging panel and will be evaluated on:

• Problem-Solution Fit: Deep understanding of the problem and articulation of the solution's effectiveness.
• Live Demonstration: Performance and technical knowledge shown during the Q&A.
• Team Vision and Collaboration: The team’s long-term vision and approach to collaboration with the banking sector.

Organiser

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP)

Co-organiser

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Event Organiser

Deloitte China

Supporting Organisations

• The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB)
• FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK)
• International Data Industry Alliance (IDIA)
• Data and AI Literacy Association (DALA)

Mentors

The following banks are actively participating in the IADS Developer Hackathon as mentors, offering professional guidance and support to teams throughout the innovation journey:

• Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited
• The Bank of East Asia, Limited
• Dah Sing Bank, Limited
• Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Limited
• Hang Seng Bank, Limited
• The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
• Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited
• Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited

A: Yes. We invite innovative solutions from all regions. The evaluation will consider the solution's applicability to the Hong Kong market.

All data provided to Hackathon participants is synthetic data. There is no real customer data, and the synthetic data does not match any specific bank.

That is acceptable. Solutions may focus on either segment, or apply to both.

Both are accepted. While our primary focus is on refined solutions intended for adoption by the industry, we seek to provide a platform to introduce and cultivate a diverse array of innovative ideas and solutions related to IADS.

Yes. Intellectual property protection is a critical aspect of the Hackathon. To safeguard participants’ IP rights, information is shared only with essential parties involved in the Hackathon, including the organisers, mentors, judges, and the designated consultant.