Hacking today and tomorrow
A decade of commitment, a decade of engineering change. See how we’re cultivating the talent and creativity of our technologists.
Read on to learn more about the UBS Hackathon
The first UBS Hackathon was hosted in 2014, and today, it’s more popular than ever. We’re competing across the globe to develop innovative solutions and implementing some of the winning solutions to directly benefit our clients and teams.
Looking back
Started by our technologists, the annual event was quickly recognized as an incredible opportunity to harness the organic interest and momentum it created. Today, the UBS Hackathon is one of our Group Operations and Technology Office flagship events, organized at a global level as part of our commitment to building a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
I still remember the excitement of joining a small group of enthusiastic engineers for the first ever UBS Hackathon in 2014. We were around 80 people hacking on just a handful of projects. Most of us stayed up all night, powered by coffee and the excitement of possibly turning a pet project into a winning idea! It’s unbelievable to see how much it’s grown. I couldn’t have predicted that when I participated in the event 10 years later, I’d be surrounded by thousands of global participants and over 400 teams - says Ben London, one of our Distinguished Engineers.
Connecting people
The true spirit of our UBS Hackathon isn't just about the codes we write or the solutions we create, but also the connections we make and the insights we share. Every year, over two intense days, our technologists, engineers, coders, and other employees from across the firm collaborate, innovate, and show their passion for rapid problem-solving.
This event is one of my favorites of the year. It highlights the collective curiosity, creativity, and passion of our employees, driving us forward with innovative solutions and a shared commitment to engineering excellence. It's been great to witness the traction the UBS Hackathon has gained; with less than 100 participants in 2014 and 10 years later we exceeded 4,000 participants - says Mike Dargan, Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer.
Hacking the future
The question we’re trying to address every year: How can our colleagues bring real change to the future of banking by using their skills and experience. The answer? Our engineers are offered dedicated time to code a great idea into life, while providing invaluable hands-on experience in how to translate business needs into digital solutions.
The words “hold on guys, I’ve just had a crazy idea” can come from anywhere, from an intern to a senior leader. The best part of the Hackathon – every voice is heard and all participants live by the mentality that no ideas are bad ideas.
Reviewing the history of the annual Hackathon is testament to the enthusiasm, agility, and curiosity of our engineering community for anyone who doesn’t get to experience it themselves - says Rick Carey, Group Chief Technology Officer.
UBS Hackathon today
The annual UBS Hackathon started as a whirlwind of excitement and remains the same today; the quick thinking, positive mindsets, and fail fast attitudes are here to stay. 2024 was a record-breaking year with nearly 4,200 participants across 450+ teams. The event offered four categories in which teams could submit their entries – accessibility, innovation, our internal collaboration platform, and our internal tech support platform.
2024 categorical winners
Team AutoAlt – accessibility winner
In their project they utilized the power of AI to improve the accessibility of our investment research content for users with visual disabilities.
Team Kestrel – innovation excellence winner
Their project performed large-scale code refactoring to accelerate modern tech adoption and remediate vulnerabilities for DevCloud.
Team #One – collaboration platform winner
They created an all-in-one quiz solution integrated with our existing collaboration platform.
Team SwiftAccess – tech support platform winner
Their project was a one-stop-shop for end users to address all their access-related concerns on our self-service tool.
Watch a clip to learn about the full history of the UBS Hackathon and stay tuned for what’s to come! We’re just getting started.
Watch a clip to learn about the full history of the UBS Hackathon and stay tuned for what’s to come! We’re just getting started.
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Planning for Hackathon 2025 is in full swing. Stay tuned for updates on this year’s event taking place throughout the week of 7 July 2025!
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A record-breaking year with nearly 4,200 participants across 450+ teams
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Twice as many! 2,100 colleagues across 235 teams from 12 UBS offices around the globe (and virtually!)
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Still growing… 1,000 participants, 100 projects
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What an increase! 800 participants and 80(!) projects
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500 participants and around 40 participants
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We’re breaking records: 800 participants (a 45% increase!)
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Joining us this year: 550 technologists, engineers, coders (and more!)
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This year saw around 550 participants
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Gaining traction, we’re 450!
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We’ve gone global! …this year with 350 participants
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The first UBS Hackathon with 80 participants across 10 teams