SwissHacks 2024: Unleashing Financial Innovation in 48 Hours

A Premiere in Switzerland

SwissHacks 2024 marked FIND's inaugural flagship event, a groundbreaking 48-hour hackathon dedicated entirely to financial innovation. Held from 28 June to 30 June 30 2024 in Zurich, the event was organized in collaboration with Tenity and supported by a unique public-private partnership. SwissHacks brought together over 100 participants from 15 different countries, including students, developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and finance professionals. Over the course of the event, participants tackled five cutting-edge challenges, ranging from deep fakes recognition to blockchain applications in finance, all with the goal of delivering actionable and scalable solutions to real-world problems.

Martha Boeckenfeld, Johs. Hoehener and Nathan Kaiser, all members of the Innovation Sounding Board, actively supported FIND in this initiative. Daniela Stoffel also assumed a jury role and opened the closing ceremony.

This event was a first for Switzerland's federal administration, setting the stage for collaboration among regulators, financial institutions, and innovators in a format that fostered creativity and problem-solving.

SwissHacks 2024 in pictures

Hackathons: An Ideal Format to Foster Innovation

Hackathons like SwissHacks are particularly well-suited to driving innovative solutions to pressing societal challenges. For example, one standout challenge presented by Julius Bär focused on detecting deep fakes, an increasingly critical issue as generative AI tools evolve, introducing new risks for financial institutions in managing client identification and verification.

Eva Selamlar, Head of FIND, highlighted the significance of this initiative:

"Never before has there been a Swiss government-driven hackathon with an exclusive focus on financial innovation. Switzerland is the cradle of finance, education, and entrepreneurial spirit. All we need to do is unleash this DNA by putting the brightest minds to work on five distinct problems. Best case, we see visionary and scalable solutions addressing pressing societal challenges; worst case, we're smarter than we were 48 hours before and have had a great time with like-minded peers."

SwissHacks 2024 in Motion

Networking and Showcasing at VC Night and the Point Zero Forum

Winning teams had the opportunity to showcase their prototypes during an exclusive VC Networking Night hosted at Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law. Their solutions were presented to a distinguished audience of investors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and legal professionals. Pascale Bruderer, former President of the National Council, Vice-President of the ETH Board, and entrepreneur, delivered an inspiring keynote emphasizing Switzerland's enduring appeal as a prime business location.

The panel of jurors evaluating the pitches included prominent figures such as Georges Khneysser, Founder of QBIT Capital, Drew Propson, Head of Technology & Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum, Schuyler Weiss, CEO of Light Frame, Chetan Tolia, Managing Director and Head of UBS Next and Alexander Fries, General Partner at Digital Twins Capital.

As an additional highlight, the winning teams were invited to present their solutions on stage at the Point Zero Forum – a premier global platform dedicated to financial innovation and sustainability, co-hosted by the Swiss Secretariat for International Finance and GFTN. This opportunity underscored FIND's role as a concierge of financial innovation, connecting diverse stakeholders and reinforcing Switzerland's position as a hub for forward-thinking solutions.

VC Networking Night & Showcase at Point Zero Forum

Key Highlights to Remember

• More than 180 registrations

• 100 selected participants from 15 countries

• 5 challenges tackled

• 21 projects submitted within 48 hours

• Participant satisfaction score: 9.2/10

Given the event's resounding success, a new edition of SwissHacks is already in the works. Save the date: the next SwissHacks will take place from 11 to 13 April 2025, in Zurich.

More info: https://www.swisshacks.com

SwissHacks: The First Government-Supported Hackathon