inDrive, a mobility and urban services platform, is inviting teams of up to six members to participate in a hackathon called inCode 2023.
The hackathon aims to improve ride-hailing platforms by presenting innovative ideas in three categories: improving safety, advancing accessibility, and dreaming big.
The company is offering cash prizes of up to €16,000 (Sh2.3 million) to teams that present the best ideas in each category.
The hackathon will take place over two phases, with the submission of ideas in PowerPoint or Keynote presentations in phase one and the delivery of prototypes in phase two.
Uber has revolutionized the taxi industry, making it easier for people to request rides on demand. However, inDrive believes that improvements can still be made to ride-sharing platforms, which is why they are hosting their first-ever hackathon.
The company hopes to recognize the technical expertise and creativity of software developers and coders who can make ride-hailing safer, more inclusive, and easier to use.
The Senior Vice President of Engineering at inDrive, Alexander Lobashe is excited to see the ideas that will emerge from the hackathon.
“Ride-hailing platforms owe their very existence to the creativity and technical expertise of software developers and coders’ ability to dream up, design, and build global products, reliable algorithms, and user-friendly interfaces. InCode is a way for inDrive to recognize the tech innovators who invest their time and talent to make ride-hailing safer, more inclusive, and better to use. We at inDrive are excited to see what ideas emerge from our first annual hackathon.”
The inCode 2023 hackathon is divided into three categories. The first category (aims to improve safety by finding ys to make ride-hailing more secure for both riders and drivers.
The second category is focused on advancing accessibility by proposing ways to make ride-hailing more inclusive for people with disabilities.
The third category, called “Dream Big,” encourages participants to identify factors or features that are currently missing from inner and inter-city trips and the delivery of goods and to use technology to improve these services and solutions.
Participants have until June 4th to submit their ideas in the format of PowerPoint/Keynote presentations.
In the second phase of the hackathon ( From June 19th – July 9, 2023), participants must deliver their prototypes to compete for prizes of €750 (Sh111,895), €1,500 (Sh223,790), and €3,000 (Sh447,580) in each category.
Each category has a first, second, and third prize. Teams consisting of one to six members can register for the hackathon on the inDrive website.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Yakutsk, Russia, inDrive began offering its services in the African market in 2018.
Over time, the company has expanded its presence to ten cities in five African nations, such as Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.