Students are leading the way to digital transformation at the Metro Manila leg of the Byte Forward Hackathon, a 24-hour innovation challenge designed to solve real-world business problems faced by enterprises today. The hackathon will be held from August 7 to 8, 2025, at Seda Vertis North in Quezon City.
In collaboration with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Converge hosted the hackathon as part of a broader initiative to bridge enterprises with next-gen thinkers, who are tech-savvy and possess the natural edge in creating bold, out-of-the-box solutions.
Ten teams from schools across the region will solve problems sourced directly from members of the PCCI and Converge SME partners.
This ensures the challenges are rooted in real operational needs and have tangible business value. The collaborative approach offers participants a unique opportunity to address issues that directly impact companies and communities.
“We believe the best way to discover talent is by giving them real challenges,” said Ron Puno, CEO of Rev21 Labs Inc. “In this upcoming hackathon, students will face actual business problems sourced from actual businesses in Metro Manila. Over the course of 24 hours, they’ll be tasked with turning their classroom knowledge into practical, innovative solutions. We’re not looking for perfection—we’re looking for fresh ideas, critical thinking, and the drive to build something real under pressure. It’s this mindset and potential we’re excited to see in action.”
At the end of the event, teams must design, prototype, and prepare a live demonstration or simulation of their proposed solution to present to a panel of judges from the PCCI, Converge, and Rev21.
The winning teams will be announced on August 8, 2025, and will be awarded cash prizes worth P50,000, P30,000, and P20,000, respectively. The 1st and 2nd place winners will also get free internet connection for 12 months.
Byte Forward Hackathon will culminate with a grand winner, chosen from the victors in NCR, North Luzon, South Luzon, and Visayas legs, who will take home prizes up to P500,000.
Future in motion
The Byte Forward Hackathon, together with a special Try-a-Tech zone are simultaneous, co-located events of the Metro Manila Business Conference 2025.
The event is the premier business gathering that convenes the nation’s most influential leaders across industries for a high-impact conference fueled by bold ideas and actionable solutions. Over 500 delegates, including top-tier government officials, business leaders, diplomats, foreign investors, and forward-thinking entrepreneurs, will gather to shape the economic future of Metro Manila and beyond.
To be highlighted in the Try-a-Tech zone are new technology platforms disrupting the way personalized medical and wellness services are delivered to the target markets. This is anchored on remote monitoring and predictive data analytics.
More exciting tech-exhibits, breakthrough ideas in action, and the final tournament and grand awarding of the Byte Forward Hackathon’s next-gen talents will be presented at the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo, scheduled for October 21-22, 2025, at the SMX Convention Center in Manila. This year’s theme is “The Future Is Now: Unleash the Power of Digital Transformation.”
For more information, please visit https://www.philippinechamber.com/philippine-business-conference-and-expo
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