Press Releases
|Published Date: 21-10-2025
FinTech Hackathon: FinTellect 2025
3 MIN READ
Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB), in collaboration with DST Inno Lab, the FinTech Association of Brunei Darussalam (FinTech.BN) and Brunei Innovation Lab, successfully organised the inaugural FinTech Hackathon: FinTellect 2025. The hackathon competition took place from 17 to 19 October 2025 at Anggerek Desa Technology Park, home to the Mekar FinTech Innovation Centre, iCentre, and Brunei Innovation Lab.
Carrying the theme ‘Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Intelligent and Safer Financial Services in Brunei Darussalam’, the three-day hackathon aimed to foster innovation, creativity and collaboration amongst young talents in the financial technology space.
More than 30 students from local higher learning institutions, including Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and Politeknik Brunei (PB), participated in the competition. Through mentoring sessions and hands-on guidance, participants developed innovative AI-driven ideas, culminating in a final pitch presentation evaluated by a panel of judges comprising experts from the financial and technology sectors.
The prize presentation ceremony, held on 19 October 2025, was graced by Yang Mulia Hajah Noorrafidah binti Sulaiman, Acting Managing Director of BDCB, as the guest of honour. Also in attendance were senior officials from the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), Datastream Digital (DST), FinTech.BN, Brunei Innovation Lab, as well as UBD and UNISSA.
In her keynote address, Yang Mulia Hajah Noorrafidah binti Sulaiman underscored that creativity and progress are continuous pursuits. It is a journey of learning, refining and reimagining. She encouraged participants to carry forward the spirit of the hackathon, whether through entrepreneurship, research or meaningful careers. She also emphasised the importance of collaboration and digital advancement in shaping the future of Brunei Darussalam’s financial services sector.
The ceremony then continued with the announcement of the top three winning teams. First place went to POStah, which provides AI-driven financial insights to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Second place was awarded to AImanah, an AI-automated fraud detection system designed for banks. Meanwhile, third place went to BeeLanja, a gamified AI-based savings application aimed at encouraging financial literacy and saving habits among youth.
For further details on BDCB’s initiatives in promoting the FinTech development in Brunei Darussalam, including the FinTech Hackathon FinTellect 2025, please visit the BDCB website at www.bdcb.gov.bn or follow BDCB’s Instagram account @centralbank.brunei.
