If a marathon is a test of physical limits, then a Hackathon is a test of mental limits. With limited time and technological resources, participating teams conjure up wild startup and product ideas. TechCrunch, an influential media outlet covering tech trends in Silicon Valley, has long believed Hackathons play an integral role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation and thus has included Hackathons in every TechCrunch Summit.
Paris, Berlin, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, wherever TechCrunch Summit went, so did Hackathons. At every TechCrunch Summit, TechCrunch worked with its partners such as Microsoft, Google, IBM, Groupe Renault, BMW, and Unilever, to design challenges that not only test the quality and unity of participating teams but also encourages breakthroughs in innovation and development.
At TechCrunch Shanghai 2017’s Hackathon, we worked with BMW and CITIC to prepare a multi-modal travel challenge. Using global data provided by the Internet of Things (IoT), O2O technology and map-based life experience services, participating teams thought outside of the box and turned challenges into business opportunities.
In the same year, we worked with Dianrong and Mobike to prepare two challenges on creating innovative applications of blockchain: the Magento 2 e-commerce development challenge and the Segway Robotics Loomo challenge. The participating teams’ innovative work not only satisfied the requirements of Dianrong and Mobike but also broadened the audience’s horizons. Although the winning startup did not further pursue the project due to time constraints, their creativity has given the organizers some new perspectives and directions.
As blockchain was becoming more and more mainstream last year, TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018’s Hackathon worked with ArcBlock, Dapp.com, Cryptokitties & Animoca, and Tomato Wallet to prepare three challenges: blockchain’s innovative applications, blockchain games, and the consumption of blockchain-based cryptocurrency. Although blockchain was considered a relatively nascent technology at the time of TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, after an intense 24-hour brainstorming session, participating teams came up with innovative startup ideas that inspired the blockchain space.
In the past few years, we have witnessed many participating teams, without the pressure to create financially-valuable startups, were able to solve complex technical issues. Indeed, TechCrunch hopes to engender intellectual breakthroughs and exciting innovation through its Hackathons. At TechCrunch Hackathons, exceptional participating teams of technology controllers, developers, designers, and students always manage to accomplish any challenge given to them in any given time.
Whether you want to explore innovative ways to apply your company’s technology, discover top talents, showcase your company’s technology and mission, or expand your professional network, TechCrunch Hackathon is the perfect platform for you.
Let us test the limits of our intellectual capabilities!
Sign up for TechCrunch Shenzhen 2019’s Hackathon HERE.
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