Converge ICT Solutions Inc. staged its first “Byte Forward” hackathon in Bataan last week, seeking to identify top Filipino tech talent and devise software prototypes for real-world business problems.
The 24-hour contest, held on June 19-20 alongside the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s regional business conference, drew 10 student teams from five North Luzon universities.
Participants raced to build minimum viable products with help from mentors at Converge subsidiary Rev21 Labs and its custom artificial-intelligence toolkit.
“When I was young, I shared the same passion for technology and innovation,” Converge chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy told delegates. “We’re investing in infrastructure and building tech hubs so these bright minds have opportunities to thrive.”
Rev21 Labs chief executive Ron Puno said the company wanted “to see how they think, how they create, and how fast they can build something” in a high-pressure setting. “We’re not expecting perfection but at least a working prototype,” he added.
Student team “GG Well Code” from EXACT College of Asia took first place and PHP 50,000 ($850) for a smart marketing and business-finder tool. “BPSU1” from Bataan Peninsula State University won PHP 30,000 for a talent-sourcing platform, while “LetranKnights1” from Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Bataan earned PHP 20,000 for a citizen-reporting solution.
“What we saw was genuine innovation,” said Rev21 enterprise portfolio manager Adrian Tiu, one of the judges. “These problem statements were based on real operational hurdles, and the teams delivered practical answers.”
Byte Forward will rotate to Visayas (July 24-25), Metro Manila (Aug 7-8), Mindanao (Aug 27-29) and South Luzon (Sept 25-26). Regional winners advance to a PHP 500,000 grand final during the Philippine Business Conference and Expo on Oct 20-21.
Converge, the country’s second-largest fixed-broadband provider, says the initiative supports its plan to cultivate local innovators and strengthen the domestic technology ecosystem.
Business New Asia