Recap of the 6th edition:
24h of co-creating practical solutions for sustainable finance

Open Geneva hosted its 6th annual hackathon on sustainable finance on October 11-12, 2024, in the SDG Solution Space in Geneva. More than 50 diverse participants came together for 24 hours with one shared goal: to co-create practical solutions to 7 critical challenges linked to sustainable finance.

 A big congratulations to all participants for their dedication, collaboration, and creativity. Their hard teamwork and collective intelligence shone through in the final pitches, where they presented bold solutions. 

Scroll to discover the collaborative outcomes of this event!

24 hours of collaboration
learning and creative problem-solving

+50 diverse participants
working in teams of 7-9 individuals

7 practical solutions
developed for sustainable finance

7 unconvetional challenges linked to sustainable finance

This year's challenges addressed the evolving industry needs. While remaining committed to sustainable finance, they focused on new themes at the crossroads of finance, social responsibility and emerging technologies, exploring how finance can address social issues and conflicts.

Furthermore, this edition reflected the priorities of a new generation seeking to reshape our financial system with several challenges shaped and owned by students from the University of Geneva.

This year's challenges were presented by:
GigaSustainable Finance GenevaFinance for Peace
2024 CHALLENGES

50 diverse minds united
for a shared purpose

This year's Sustainable Finance Hack brought together a remarkable group of 50 individuals from all walks of life. From eager students to seasoned experts, the participants came from various backgrounds and sectors:
57% Students
From universities across Switzerland


10% Academia
Professors and doctoral researchers


10% NGOs

Nonprofit organization representatives


10% Private Sector
Industry professionals


10% International Organizations
Representatives from global institutions


2.% Government
National Government representatives
They worked in teams, composed of 7-9 members, united to tackle their unique challenge. By combining their diverse skills and perspectives, they fostered innovation and collaboration, driving impactful solutions and forging new connections.

The final pitches : 24 hours of collective intelligence showcased in 2 minutes

Imagine taking a complex idea, birthed from 24 hours of intense collaboration, and distilling it into a compelling 2-minute pitch. That's exactly what our hackathon participants did.

They combined creativity, theatric elements, boldness, and confidence to present their innovative solutions for sustainable finance. Watch as they captivate the audience and showcase the power of collective intelligence.

At Open Geneva's hackathons, there’s never a traditional judging panel. Instead, the entire community votes for their "favorite project". This approach empowers the community to directly shape the outcome of the event, and the announcement of the "winning" project marks the end of 24 
hours of intense collaboration.

Hackathon highlights #SFH24

68% found the hackathon a safe space
to explore new ideas, experiment and innovate

80% learned something new
expanding their knowledge and skills

68% wants to continue their project 
and further develop their innovative solution

91% recommends participating
and encourage others to experience a hackathon

Capturing the collaborative 
atmosphere of the hackathon

Giga shares their experience as a hackathon challenge owner

Giga, a joint UNICEF-ITU initiative, is on a mission to connect every school to the internet. To accelerate progress towards this goal, they presented the "Financing Digital Infrastructure for Schools" challenge.

By tapping into the power of collective intelligence and a bottom-up approach, participants developed an innovative platform to bridge the digital divide, empower remote communities and unlock quality education.

The Hackathon Journal by the community, for the community

Imagine a hackathon where everyone becomes a reporter! No more sidelines - everyone's a storyteller contributing to the vibrant narrative of this collaborative event.

 Meet the chatbot making it possible: Geneva.live, a revolutionary AI-powered communication tool developed by a Swiss startup. This innovative smartphone platform empowers anyone to share their experiences in real-time through bite-sized articles, regardless of their prior writing experience.

With Geneva.live, every participant was able to have their voice heard, sharing their testimonials, bold ideas and solutions that shaped the hackathon.

We've curated their contributions into an exclusive community-driven journal, capturing the unique spirit of the event, with stories penned by the very people who lived it!

The Journal will be published in December 2024
at the Building Bridges Action days

The Sustainable Finance Hack 2024
was supported by

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