Interswitch Fosters Innovation with Technovation Competition

Emma Okonji

Africa’s integrated payments and digital commerce company, Interswitch, has successfully concluded the second edition of its Technovation competition, a hackathon aimed at nurturing innovation and creativity among its employees.

The initiative showcases Interswitch’s commitment to fostering innovation and creating impactful solutions that address diverse challenges across the African continent.

The competition, which spanned several weeks, provided a unique platform for Interswitch employees to explore their problem-solving capabilities and devise innovative solutions to real-world problems. With a strong focus on technology-driven advancements, the program provided participants with the necessary tools, mentorship, and a platform to develop groundbreaking ideas and transform them into viable prototypes.

Following a review of numerous entries, five teams were shortlisted to compete at the grand finale. The chosen teams include Paystars, The Innovators, Team Spark, Team Flash, and The Pioneers who pitched solutions focused on healthcare, food and financial technology.

At the end of the keenly contested pitch session, which took place in Lagos recently, Team Flash emerged winner of Technovation 2.0, receiving N1,000,000. Team Spark followed closely behind in second place, wining N750,000 and Team Paystars emerged in third place, winning the sum of N500,000.

Speaking on the successful completion of the Technovation 2.0, Managing Director, Payment Processing and Switching (Interswitch Purepay), Akeem Lawal, emphasised the significance of empowering employees to design solutions that address Africa’s unique challenges.

He said: “At Interswitch, we firmly believe that the key to driving meaningful change in Africa lies in nurturing and empowering our talented people. The Technovation 2.0 competition is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our unwavering belief in the transformative power of technology. By supporting our staff members in their pursuit of groundbreaking solutions, we aim to create a brighter future for Africa.”