Budding QLD Entrepreneurs get the Opportunity to Fast-track Their Fintech Ideas at BOQ Hackathon
Tuesday, 28/02/2017
The next generation of tech entrepreneurs are being called on to come up with ideas that will disrupt the banking and finance industry and solve real business problems at the BOQ Hackathon, running from 3 – 5 March 2017.
Hosted by BOQ and technology start-up hub River City Labs, budding innovators and tech-heads will pitch their business idea and solution to a panel of high-profile tech judges.
Over a 52-hour window, attendees will have the opportunity to bounce ideas and solutions around with some of Queensland’s top talent before turning their concepts into prototypes.
Donna-Maree Vinci, Group Executive and Chief Operations, Digital and Information Officer (CxO) at BOQ, said all you need is some passion and curiosity to give the Hackathon a go.
“Participation is not restricted to those with just coding experience, as great ideas can come from anywhere and diverse skills and experience are needed to bring your idea to life. So if you’ve been harbouring an idea, bring it along and make it a reality.”
“These type of weekends are a fantastic way of fostering innovation in the Brisbane community and we are very excited to be hosting budding innovators and entrepreneurs,” Ms Vinci said.
River City Labs CEO Peta Elis said participants were guaranteed to walk away from the event with a real-world experience of how to run a fintech startup.
“As we’ve seen in KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech 2017 report recently, investments in Australian fintech startups hit a record high of $626 million last year, up from $185 million in 2015.
“The increase is buoyed by strong support (for the fintech industry) from financial institutions in Australia, including BOQ, and hackathons are a great way to turn ideas into million-dollar businesses,” Ms Ellis said.
The winners will walk away with a $10,000 cash prize and a one hour mentoring session with Shark Tank star and River City Labs founder Steve Baxter.
BOQ Hackathon 2017 runs from March 3-5 at Q-Labs, 100 Skyring Terrace, Newstead. To register, visit http://www.rivercitylabs.net/event/boq-hackathon-2017-future-fintech/
The judging panel
Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur – Mark Sowerby
Ezidebit Founder – Michael Dempsey
Infocus Chief Operating Officer – Jo Willoughby
Donna-Maree Vinci - GE Enterprise Solutions Chief Operations Digital and Information
Paul Kang – Co-founder and Director of Entersoft
About the BOQ Hackathon
BOQ Hackathon 2017 runs from 6.00pm 3 March to 7.00pm 5 March at Q-Labs, 100 Skyring Terrace, Newstead.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Friday evening | Session will open with dinner and networking before participants begin the process of pitching their idea and teams are organically formed following a popular vote. |
| Saturday and Sunday | Industry leading mentors, including Steve Baxter, will be on hand to support model creation, coding/building, designing and market validation. |
Visit http://www.rivercitylabs.net/event/boq-hackathon-2017-future-fintech/
About BOQ
BOQ is one of Australia’s leading regional banks and is one of the few still not owned by one of the big banks. This means we offer a genuine alternative to anyone looking for a full range of personal and business banking services. We’ve been doing business since 1874 and pride ourselves on building long-term customer relationships that are based on mutual respect and understanding. Our relationship model is supported by simple, easy-to-understand banking products to help meet our customers’ financial needs. BOQ is one of the top 100 companies ranked by market capitalisation on the Australian Securities Exchange and are regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority as an Authorised Deposit-taking Institution.
About River City Labs
River City Labs is Brisbane's premier technology startup hub and central club house for tech start-ups. It's a not-for-profit organisation aimed at fostering Queensland's startup ecosystem. Current membership sits at over 100 members ranging from early stage start-ups and founders, to established start-ups and entrepreneurs who have successfully raised capital in the last 18 months. River City Labs focuses on providing the right environment for entrepreneurs to make valuable contacts while learning from peers, mentors and industry experts who help them connect, work and grow.
