Rules & Submission Guidelines
All ideas must be submitted by the specified deadline in the designated format.- For Round 1, submissions will include the following in Powerpoint or PDF format.
(i) Problem Statement: (Title of Problem Statement)
(ii) Idea: (How do you solve this)
(iii) You can include supporting diagrams. (Max. 10 slides) - For Round 2, submissions will include the following in Powerpoint or PDF format.
(i) Round 1 submission
(ii) Market sizing to outline the daily volumes of conversations that the WhatsApp chatbot can bring in.
(iii) High-level implementation or diagram of the WhatsApp chatbot if integrating with APIs etc.
(iv) A mockup of the use case using (https://businessthreadbuilder.com/wa/)
(v) Tools, technology stack (including the APIs) utilized and framework details.
(vi) If applicable, the algorithms, machine learning models or AI technologies used for this WhatsApp chatbot.
(vii) An explanation to support why your WhatsApp chatbot should be considered. (USP, Market Opportunity etc.)
(viii) Ability to scale up in the enterprise-grade environment. - For Round 3, a working WhatsApp chatbot is expected to be built and presented to a panel of judges virtually. ADA will provide a test account to access ADA’s Business Messaging Platform.
- For Round 4, a working WhatsApp chatbot is expected to be presented as well to a panel of judges. The exact venue will be updated soon.
- Late submissions may not be considered for judging.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is ADA's Business Messaging 2023 Hackathon?
The hackathon will take place over a period of 3 months, starting from 17 July 2023 until 11 October 2023.
Where is the hackathon held?
Round 1 to Round 3 will be held virtually; whereas the finale will be held in-person in Malaysia/Indonesia.
The exact venue will be updated soon.
Who can participate in the hackathon?
This hackathon is designed to offer emerging conversational AI startups, Independent Software Vendors (ISV), the software development communities (students and graduates are welcomed!) and passionate individuals with an idea an opportunity to build advanced WhatsApp chatbot solutions. These solutions will be used to solve real-world business problems that can transform customer experience and deliver better customer engagement.
We are opening it to all international students, developers, graduates, working professionals and entrepreneurs who are residing in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Participants need to be at least 18 years of age at the point of registration for the hackathon. Please refer to the Terms & Conditions for more details.
With that said, having basic programming knowledge and skills in API integrations could increase the chances of your team winning as a functioning WhatsApp chatbot is required in the semi-final round (You will be integrating your solution with AI chatbot technologies such as ChatGPT or Dall-E!). It is a plus if you have knowledge of software platforms and the WhatsApp Business Platform.
We highly encourage participants from various backgrounds (business, engineering, marketing, product, finance, etc.) to join, as incorporating different perspectives is crucial in developing your chatbot to solve real-world business problems.
When can I register for the hackathon?
Registration opens on 28 Aug 2023 and closes on 11 Sept 2023. Register here!
What do I need to do to confirm my registration?
Upon submission of the registration form, each participant will receive a confirmation email at the registered email address and a confirmation message via WhatsApp.
All participants must confirm their participation by choosing "I Agree" to the WhatsApp message for the submission to be considered.
Do I need a team to participate?
Yes. Each team should have a minimum of 2 people, and a maximum of 5 people.
Where can we find the problem statements for the Business Messaging Hackathon 2023?
The problem statements for the hackathon can be found here: https://ada-asia.com/ada-hackathon-problem-statement.
How should we submit our ideas and solutions for this hackathon?
Submissions for ideas can be made on ADA Asia's website, where a dedicated page will be provided for idea submissions.
During the submission process, please ensure that all required information is provided, including the names of all team members, idea descriptions, etc.
What are the prizes for the winners? How many teams will be selected as winners?
A total of USD 27,500 worth of prizes will be awarded to the 8 winning teams. The prizes will include cash rewards.
Is there a limit to the number of submissions per team?
Each team is allowed to submit multiple hacks, but only one idea per team will be shortlisted.
Is it possible to change teams after submitting my entry?
Once you have submitted your idea, you cannot add or remove team members.
How will my team be notified if we made it to the next round?
Each team member will receive an email regarding the team's progress at the end of each round.
Who will be responsible for judging my hack, and what are the criteria for the selection process?
Our panel of judges will include key stakeholders from Axiata Group, ADA, Meta, and the mobile ecosystem.
The submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Originality
- Creativity
- Business viability
Other notable terms:
- ADA reserves the right to reject or disqualify an idea or hack if it is found to be plagiarized.
- Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for further details.
Tech FAQ
What programming languages are allowed at the hackathon?
Participants are free to use any programming language or technology (eg-Dall-E, GPT-4 etc.of their choice). There are no restrictions on programming languages.
What resources or APIs can we use during the hackathon?
You are free to use any publicly available resources, open-source libraries, APIs, and frameworks. However, it is important to respect the terms and conditions of any third-party resources used and ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
Are there any specific hardware or software requirements?
The hackathon is platform-agnostic, and participants can use any hardware or software they prefer which can be integrated with ADA’s Business Messaging Platform.
Can I work on my existing project or do I need to start a new one?
You are welcome to work on existing projects, as long as they align with the hackathon theme & problem statements. However, all code and solutions presented during the hackathon should be developed during the hackathon.
Will there be mentors or experts available for guidance?
Yes, there will be mentors and subject matter experts available throughout the hackathon. We will also provide tools, resources and guidance to build the WhatsApp chatbot solutions.
Please refer to the submission guideline for more details and instructions in the email when you make it to round 2.
Is a test account provided to access the ADA’s Business Messaging Platform?
Yes. Selected participants in round 3 (semi-final) will be provided a test account
What APIs are provided from ADA’s Business Messaging Platform?
ADA’s Business Messaging Platform offers APIs specifically for managing the WhatsApp Business Account, templates and many other functionality including API’s related to sending messages via WhatsApp. Participants will have access to the platform's API documentation and resources.
How will the code repo be maintained?
Each shortlisted team will be given a dedicated repository in ADA’s repository system, solution developed as part of the hackathon shall be committed to this and updated with latest changes.
How many messages can I send from the test account?
Each shortlisted team is entitled to 1,000 conversation credits (includes marketing, authentication, service & utility conversations).
Who owns the Intellectual Property of idea submissions?
By participating, each participant grants to ADA intellectual property rights over the participant’s ideas and solutions. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for further details.
Can we continue working on our ideas after the hackathon?
Absolutely! The hackathon is meant to kickstart innovative WhatsApp chatbot solution ideas, even if you do not win, you are still encouraged to continue developing and refining your ideas after the hackathon concludes!