All it takes is one idea – a gem of an idea to turn into a startup…. and with the age of the internet and mobile, a little bit of code. Braintree and PayPal know startups well, not only because we were startups once, but many of the fastest growing next-generation startups run on our Braintree platform.
As we thought about startups, and how we could support them, the idea for BattleHack was born. The series of global hackathons organised by PayPal_Braintree is all about developers — designed by developers for developers.
Launched in 2013, BattleHack has grown globally the last three years to include 4 continents. By the end of this year, we’ll have traveled to 26 cities, completing 41 hackathons, all in search for the best and brightest developers around the globe. We’re in search of the best integrations, the best code and really, the overall best application – this is not a contest only about business ideas.
Unlike many other hackathons, we don’t take equity in any of the hacks or influence the hacker’s work in any way (they just have to integrate Braintree or PayPal to accept payments in order to win). The main goal is to help change the lives of the winning team through the prize money offered. It’s about sharing the opportunity to build their own business, and to create an app that can change the world for good.
During each 24-hour BattleHack city competition, developers are tasked with building an application that incorporates the PayPal API or Braintree SDK’s and solves a local problem of their choice. Each team then presents to the panel of prestigious judges for the chance at winning the coveted Axe trophy and a trip to Silicon Valley to compete at the World Finals for the grand team prize of $100,000 USD and “Battle Axe” trophy *.
*Terms and Conditions apply. For more information please visit this page https://2015.battlehack.org/terms
We’ll see teams of developers come to enjoy the fun of hacking, and witness those that are hardcore competitors, who have built successful companies after spending 24-hours at BattleHack. Take for example:
• CleanAgents, created and awarded first place at BattleHack Berlin in 2013, is an on demand cleaning service. The company was acquired by Helpling in April 2015. After only 11 months, CleanAgents has become operational in more than 20 cities around the world and is regarded as a market leader in Germany.
• Gearbox, the winning team from Sydney’s 2014 BattleHack created a storage locker that allows users to borrow fitness and sports equipment using a mobile app, which is currently being tested by the city of Sydney in some of the city’s largest parks.
We’ve also had teams who didn’t win but receive funding following BattleHack, and others who just learned new ways to code and gain better knowledge for the future. We also love that our contestants completely own their hack. We continue to support them through other mentorship programs like Startup Blueprint should they want to build it into a company.
BattleHack is coming to Italy (H-Farm, Via Sile, 41 Roncade, Treviso, 31056) July 12-13, sign up here to join us. Are you the ultimate hacker for good?
More information can be found at 2015.battlehack.org. This includes: registration details, partner information, answers to other frequently asked questions, as well as a preview video for the 2015 series.
By John Lunn
