APPLY: $24,000 for grab at Seedstars Digital Democracy Hackathon

The hackathon is for socially committed innovators, writes Joan Aimuengheuwa

Leveraging technology and entrepreneurship to further its mission of impacting the lives of people in emerging markets, Swiss-based group, Seedstars, has launched the application for its hackathon.

Themed “Digital Democracy Challenge”, the programme seeks innovative, low-cost, and viable digital solutions to support and establish resilience in civic and democratic public spaces where the rights to freedom of expression and association are restricted.

The goal is to develop innovative solutions and contribute to furthering Goal 16 of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ultimately, unique solutions to promote digital democracy, ensure the continued existence of democratic spaces, maintain a domain for dialogue and ideas, and provide first-hand accounts of government activities are to be achieved.

The programme will identify sustainable solutions addressing digital pain points experienced by citizens living in countries with limited cyber freedom and stringent communications restriction.

Benefits

At the end of the programme, three winners will be selected to receive cash prizes to further develop their products:

• The first prize winner will receive $10,000
• The second prize winner will receive $8,000
• The third prize winner will receive $6,000

Eligibility

The programme is designed for socially committed citizens worldwide, problem solvers, creative minds, democracy experts, programmers, graphic and web designers who must:

• Be a team of at least three members
• Be passionate about solving issues surrounding the decline of democracy globally
• Already have an idea or even a minimum viable product that can be developed further during the Hackathon

Selected teams will receive coaching, mentorship, and training from experts in their field. They will present their ideas at a Demo Day event, in which participants will pitch to a panel of judges, presenting their ideas.

How to apply

Don’t sit back while you can impact the world with your innovative mind. Apply for the Seedstars Hackathon before the deadline on Monday, September 13, 2021.

Visit the SeedStars programme’s official website for more information.

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