Giga is hosting a series of hackathons starting in January 2025, to build on its open source solutions for bridging the digital divide.
The hackathon series, implemented by NewNative, a community platform dedicated to advancing AI innovation, aims to accelerate Giga’s connectivity efforts by fostering collaborative problem-solving among AI scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and civil society actors.
Open source is crucial to foster collaboration, innovation, and transparency, enabling others to build upon Giga’s work and contribute to a shared vision of equitable access to technology. Giga invites partners and communities to join in this effort, collectively advancing the development of AI solutions for all.
Participants will develop open-source AI-based solutions to optimize and support the lifecycle of public sector networks, particularly for schools and health centres in underserved regions. Giga is encouraging participation amongst individuals passionate about connectivity, who can then form a team.
Hackers will focus on leveraging open-source AI technologies to improve the planning, procurement, operations, and maintenance of public sector networks.
Four hybrid hackathons will be held in total, with three in Geneva and one in Barcelona, leveraging NewNative’s methodology to help developers experiment with the latest technologies for free while receiving mentoring from industry experts.
The top five teams will enter a 6-week incubator program and receive personalized roadmaps, technology credits and access to NewNative funders and global mentors to help scale their solutions and potentially bring their solution to market.
The first of the hackathons will be held both online, and in person in Geneva, from January 24 to January 26, 2025.
For more information, please contact Ms. Charlotte Arribe, Giga Events Specialist, at carribe@unicef.org.