Bilbao will host the "Hack & Disrupt!" event, the first hackathon focused on the international fintech and insurtech sector that focusses on sustainable finance.
Over two days the gathering will bring together companies, entrepreneurs and startups to solve global technological challenges as a team. BME and BBF Fintech are the organisers of this event, which is sponsored by BBK, Plaza Financiera Bilbao and SIX's startup accelerator, F10.
The aim of this event, which feeds off the participants’ exchange of ideas, is to connect entrepreneurs and businesses to re-imagine finance and insurance through digitalisation. The real challenges that participants will face are geared towards innovation and sustainable finance.
The event will be held in a hybrid format due to the pandemic, combining a face-to-face part, at the BBF Bilbao Berrikuntza Faktoria, where all protection measures against Covid-19 will be followed, and an online part, through a technological platform, which will feature different stands, chats and work rooms. The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as various panels related to the entrepreneurial world and the fintech and insurtech ecosystem, will be streamed from the platform.
The winners will be eligible for three prizes: a field trip to Switzerland, where they will be able to get to know its fintech ecosystem in detail, the possibility of participating in the incubation programme and in the II BBF Fintech Open Innovation Programme, the public-private fintech incubator promoted by Bizkaia’s provincial council, Bilbao’s City Hall, the University of Mondragón and Dominion, as well as direct access to the final interview to participate in the F10 incubation and acceleration programme.
Javier Hernani, CEO of BME, believes that BME's presence at this event reaffirms the company's commitment to digitalisation, innovation and the promotion of SMEs and disruptive startups, which adds to other initiatives, such as the Pre-Market Environment. "Today's startups can be tomorrow's stock market blue chips," he stated.
"We also reiterate our support for Bilbao as an innovative financial centre, where BME closely follows the entrepreneurial ecosystem," he concluded.