The Hackathon will see budding technology enthusiasts compete to win a prize up to $10,000

SYDNEY, Australia – November 15, 2021 – Canberra-based open source software company Instaclustr has announced it will be hosting an Open Source Hackathon from 22-26 November in collaboration with the University of Canberra and Canberra Innovation Network, where teams come up with innovative ideas and win up to $10,000.

Free to participate, the Open Source Hackathon, which will be held virtually, is a competition for young diverse innovators and budding technology-minded individuals to collaborate over a week while attending workshops to develop, build and pitch innovative ideas.

Instaclustr and partners, University of Canberra and The Canberra Innovation Network are seeking teams to innovate with actionable, impactful ideas to compete for seed capital, exposure, access to expert mentoring and the Canberra Innovation Network coworking space. The hackathon is suitable for a host of inventions, business models, new or adapted technologies, policy innovations and more.

The five day event will feature a set of keynotes from industry and academic experts, workshops and mentoring sessions to help conceptualise and evolve ideas. The Hackathon will also feature two challenge streams for teams to compete in. Teams can attempt to launch a high-growth business by coming up with a technology-based solution to form the foundations of a high-growth, high-impact company. Alternatively, teams can come up with a novel way to address their city or region’s biggest ‘wicked problems’ through innovations.

The Hackathon builds upon Instaclustr’s commitment to developing and nurturing young, local IT and technology talent, and follows its earlier announcement with the University of Canberra to boost open-source software training, certification, research and development in May 2021.

On its continued partnership with the University of Canberra, Instaclustr’s CEO, Peter Lilley said:

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the University of Canberra, as well as join forces with the Canberra Innovation Network in an event that celebrates innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines the emerging, potential talent we know is so present in Australia.”  

University of Canberra’s Milica Symul,  added: “We are committed to not only bridging the technology skills gap in Australia; we’re also determined to seek out the talent and amazing minds that exist in Australia. Events such as the Open Source Hackathon are just one example of how technology and innovation presents great opportunities and a chance to drive impact and change in the world.”

Petr Adamek, CEO of the Canberra Innovation Network spoke of the city’s role in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship: “Working with home-grown open source leader Instaclustr, along with the University of Canberra, reflects our great city’s ongoing role in building local talent and spearheading innovation. With this virtual event, we are also determined to see Australians from across the country bring the best and brightest ideas to the table, reflecting Australia’s growing role as an incubator of talent and innovation.”

Teams must consist of 3-5 individuals, be available to attend various mandatory sessions on Monday 22 November, Wednesday 24 November and Friday 26 November. For the competition schedule, information on prizing and to register online, teams should visit the event website via https://opensourcehack.cbrin.com.au/.

About Instaclustr

Instaclustr was founded in Canberra in 2013 by Ben Bromhead and Adam Zegelin, providing open source technologies and serving as a one-stop destination for deploying, managing, and monitoring all components of the data layer and related infrastructure. It delivers reliability at scale through an integrated data platform of open source technologies such as Apache Cassandra®, Apache Kafka®, Apache SparkTM, ElasticsearchTM, RedisTM, Apache ZooKeeperTM, and PostgreSQL®. Instaclustr allows companies to focus internal development and operational resources on building cutting edge customer-facing applications. Its multifaceted global team with offices in Australia, the United States, and Europe ensures application critical data services are taken care of 24 hours a day, every day of the year.