Pinch Payments is inviting teams across Australia to compete for a $50,000 prize by building new payment solutions with its API. The event encourages innovation in payments technology and provides mentoring and support for developers and entrepreneurs.
- Prize pool of $50,000 for innovative payment solutions
- Event supports in-person and remote participation across Australia
- Mentoring and technical support provided throughout hackathon
What happened
Pinch Payments has announced a national hackathon offering a $50,000 total prize fund to teams who develop creative and functional applications using its API. The initiative, running from late July through early August, invites developers, founders, and product designers to submit prototypes that solve real-world payment problems such as invoicing, subscriptions, and payment automation.
Participants can join physically at designated hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, or remotely from anywhere in Australia. The event includes access to Pinch’s sandbox environment, developer documentation, and ongoing technical support. AI-assisted tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot are allowed to help accelerate development.
Why it matters
This hackathon opens a valuable opportunity for startups and individual builders to explore revenue-generating payment technologies using real, enterprise-grade APIs. By supporting a broad range of participants with mentorship from industry experts and specialized support staff, Pinch Payments fosters innovation that could lead to new business models and scalable payment products within Australia's startup ecosystem.
Additionally, the event helps bridge the gap between concept and prototype, encouraging builders who may have ideas stalled at the brainstorming phase to develop tangible solutions. Through this initiative, Pinch Payments demonstrates its commitment to growing the local tech community by facilitating both financial incentives and practical guidance.
What to watch next
Following the launch on July 24, the hackathon’s first coding weekend will be held on July 25-26 with final project submissions due by July 31. Shortlisted finalists will be announced on August 3, leading up to a live demo and pitch event on August 10 where winners will be selected based on innovation, execution, user experience, commercial viability, problem-solving, and effective use of Pinch’s technology.
Stakeholders should monitor for announcements regarding additional mentors and judges, as well as participant outcomes. The results could reveal emerging trends in embedded payments and automation, and highlight promising startups or product ideas ready for commercialization within Australia’s thriving fintech landscape.