KARACHI: NIC Karachi, an Ignite-funded initiative under the Ministry of IT & Telecom, in collaboration with United Bank Limited (UBL), has launched the UBL National Innovation Hackathon 2026, bringing together 25 teams from across Pakistan for a 72-hour challenge to develop cutting-edge solutions for the country’s financial, banking, and payments ecosystem. Competing for a grand prize of Rs5 million, the hackathon has attracted a diverse pool of participants, including students, startups, software professionals, researchers, innovators, and technology enthusiasts. More than a competition, the initiative serves as a launchpad for innovation, offering high-potential teams continued mentorship, incubation to refine their ideas into scalable, market-ready solutions capable of driving the future of digital finance in Pakistan. Abdur Rehman, Head of Creative Technology at UBL, in the opening remarks encouraged teams to focus on creating solutions that solve genuine customer problems. He stated that while the hackathon is a competition, its true value lies in experimentation, collaboration, and learning. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Syed Azfar Hussain, Project Director at NIC Karachi said, “The UBL National Innovation Hackathon is much more than a competition. It is a platform designed to bring together students, entrepreneurs, researchers, software houses, and technology professionals to solve real challenges facing Pakistan’s financial sector. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
UBL National Innovation Hackathon 2026 kicks off
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