SINGAPORE – Razer’s financial technology arm, Razer Fintech, is launching its first ever digital hackathon in Singapore, scheduled for 15 May 2020 to 17 May 2020, where Razer Fintech will continue to support and resolve issues faced by the youth and local startups due to the COVID-19 crisis. These objectives are in line with the US$50 million COVID-19 Support Fund announced by Razer Inc (“Razer”) on April 9, 2020.
The Razer Fintech Digital Hackathon will encourage Singapore tertiary students, young professionals and the start-up community to think outside the box and address critical financial challenges that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Winning participants will have the opportunity to implement and operationalize their original banking solutions within Razer Fintech’s financial services ecosystem or with its partners, through securing full-time employment, internships, investments or commercial partnerships.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy and livelihoods of many. The Singapore Government, alike governments around the world, introduced multiple stimulus packages to maintain the financial stability of Singapore as a country and as one of the world’s leading financial centres. However, as the pandemic continues to worsen, many businesses and individuals are facing unprecedented issues especially in the following areas:
- Job and knowledge opportunities are shrinking for the youth and millennials as companies facing cashflow issues arising from severe loss of income and availability of liquidity have accelerated rightsizing of work force
- Consumers are underinsured and unfamiliar with the use of cashless solutions
- Funding options are limited for small and medium-sized enterprises in the capital markets due to volatile market conditions and access to traditional funding sources
- Urgent need for traditional businesses to go digital has become clear
- Companies in need have expressed frustration on the difficulties in accessing grants and support schemes in a timely and efficient manner
Participating teams will be encouraged to solve these financial challenges, utilizing the fintech industry’s latest technologies and solutions. Teams will stand to win cash prizes of S$20,000 in total, and other prizes sponsored by Razer Fintech. Other prominent sponsors include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Mambu, Visa, PwC, FWD and Perx Technologies. This digital hackathon is also organised with the support of educational and industry bodies such as Singapore Management University and the Singapore Fintech Association.
“We have been experiencing unprecedented times amidst the significant economic impacts exacerbated by COVID-19,” said Lee Li Meng, Chief Strategy Officer of Razer Inc. and CEO of Razer Fintech. “The need for the evolution of the financial services industry to be able to react efficiently and effectively has become even more apparent. Digital financial services with innovative and sustainable solutions will prove to play a critical role in supporting the needs of businesses and individuals during these extraordinary times as well as post COVID-19 as we all band together to rebuild our society and our lives.”
Unique Opportunity to Explore Original Banking Solutions
Razer Fintech Digital Hackathon will take place from 15 May to 17 May 2020 and participants are expected to form teams of up to four to participate.
The hackathon will kick-off with educational sessions hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Mambu and Visa, followed by an opportunity for participants to formulate their proposed solution’s value proposition and product design. They will then embark on a 48-hour hackathon to develop their concepts into prototypes.
Shortlisted teams will be selected to compete in the finals through a virtual pitch session, which will be livestreamed on Twitch on the final day (17 May 2020) of the Digital Hackathon. Teams will be judged primarily on their technical ability and coding efficiency under significant time pressure, as well as their product value proposition.
“This hackathon is a really exciting project to be involved in, especially during such a difficult time,” said Myles Bertrand, Managing Director, APAC, of Mambu. “Seeing the amazing ways that young people use our platform to create new products and features is always eye-opening and we never cease to be amazed by the talent and skill that is out there. We’re really proud to be partnering with Razer on this project that has so much potential to improve financial inclusion for young people in Singapore.”
“We’re pleased to be a part of this initiative with Razer Fintech to encourage young talents in Singapore to unleash their creativity to solve financial challenges during these unprecedented times. The digital payments and FinTech landscape is ever-evolving and we are excited to offer youths and startups the opportunity to leverage Visa’s APIs to create and design innovative banking solutions to keep pace with the dynamic needs of today’s consumers,” Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei, Kunal Chatterjee, said.
To participate in the Razer Fintech Digital Hackathon, teams of up to four can register through one of the following platforms by 6:00pm SGT, 13th May 2020:
- Sign up at: https://www.razer.com/sg-en/campaigns/razer-fintech-hackathon
- Email [email protected] with the team member’s names, mobile numbers and email addresses
Participants will be notified of further competition details and engagement channels via email.
Appendix – Partner Quotes
“Staying Home does not mean creativity stops. Everyone is seeking to do their part to help our nation. This Hackathon is a great way to harness the energy of our digital natives to create solutions amidst the circuit breaker,” said Sam Kok Weng, Financial Services Leader, PwC Singapore. “We also have seen a lot of creative solutions come alive in hackathons and we are excited to see what the participants will be able to come up with.”
“As a leader in helping large enterprises engage with millions of customers around the world, we are thrilled to empower the student community to transform their ideas into reality with our robust catalogue of APIs. Perx Technologies is proud to support and enhance Razer’s revolutionary digital banking platform with our gamification and reward APIs as a key ingredient of the Hackathon” said Anna Gong, CEO and Founder, Perx Technologies.
ABOUT RAZER FINTECH
Backed by the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers synonymous with the youth and millennials, Razer Fintech is the financial technology arm of Razer Inc. Established in April 2018, Razer Fintech has grown to become one of the largest O2O digital payment networks in SEA and has processed over billions of dollars in total payment value. Razer Fintech operates two verticals, Razer Merchant Services (“RMS”) and Razer Pay.
Razer Merchant Services is a leading B2B (business-to-business)olution encompassing:
- RMS Online: Card processing gateway supporting global scheme cards and over 110 payment methods, powering online payments for global blue-chip merchants in SEA including Grab, Lazada, Facebook, Shopee, Taobao.com, and more.
- RMS Offline: SEA’s largest offline payment network of over 1 million physical acceptance points across SEA. RMS Offline also extends point-of-sale services (such as bill payments and telco reloads), cash-over-counter services (including Razer Pay top-ups and fulfilment of e-commerce purchases), distribution of third party point-of-sale activation (POSA) cards, and merchant acquiring services for Razer Pay and other third-party e-wallets.
Razer Pay is a B2C (business-to-consumer) solution comprising an all-encompassing e-wallet focused on offering a plethora of compelling use cases targeted at the youths, millennials, and underbanked.
