PayHack 2025 gathers students to transform digital payments landscape

Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), through its ESG initiative PayNet Akar, has successfully staged Malaysia’s largest intervarsity hackathon, PayHack 2025, drawing more than 400 students from 21 public and private universities to tackle real-world challenges in the financial services industry.

Organised in collaboration with Ant International and supported by Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), PayHack 2025 was designed to close gaps and address risks in the fast-evolving digital payments landscape. The finals, held on 2 and 3 August at Xsolla Curine Academy in KL Eco City, saw 17 teams compete in an intense 48-hour sprint to transform proposals into working prototypes.

The hackathon’s challenge to “solve tomorrow’s problems today” spurred innovations spanning digital payments, cybersecurity, micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) enablement, and ESG integration. Student-led solutions included offline sustainable payment systems, enhanced fraud detection, e-invoicing platforms, and AI-powered funding recommendations.

“PayHack is more than a competition. It’s a platform for young innovators to reimagine what’s possible and to lead with purpose, collaboration, and creativity. Through PayHack, we’re nurturing the next generation of changemakers who will shape the future of payments with innovation, integrity, and impact,” said Shafenaz Farouk, PayNet’s Chief People Officer.

RoadTo20K crowned champion

Universiti Malaya’s RoadTo20K emerged victorious with their prototype BizKuKu, an end-to-end digital platform enabling MSMEs with low digital literacy to seamlessly register, manage, and grow their businesses. The solution covers SSM registration, banking, marketplace integration, digital payments, financial insights, and AI-based funding recommendations – offering an all-in-one toolkit for sustainable business growth.

The champions took home RM20,000 from the total RM55,000 prize pool. Other winners included Roti CanAI from APU (second place, RM12,000), Pineapple Donkey from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (third place, RM6,000), Da House from APU (fourth place, RM3,000), and TapirPay from Universiti Sains Malaysia (fifth place, RM2,000). Special recognitions went to X-Chain from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Hustler Award) and PEPE from USM (Pitch Perfect Award).

The competition began in June with over 90 submissions. Thirty-three teams advanced to the semifinals in July, where they developed minimum viable products (MVPs) and pitched virtually on the theme “Payment without Borders.” Finalists received mentorship from PayNet, Ant International, Bank Islam Malaysia, and FWD Insurance, before presenting to a judging panel of industry leaders, including PayNet CTO Teh Lip Guan, Ant International Malaysia CTO Evan Gao, MBAN council member Alan Ong, Fintech Association of Malaysia president Anil Singh Gill, and Setel Ventures CPTO Kok Chiann.

PayHack 2025 not only highlighted the creativity of Malaysia’s next generation of fintech leaders but also underscored the role of collaboration between academia, industry, and regulators in future-proofing the nation’s financial services ecosystem.