Seedstars calls for startup entries to global Digital Democracy Challenge

Seedstars has called for entries into its global Digital Democracy Challenge, a hackathon that aims to find solutions to promote digital democracy.

The challenge focuses on low-cost and viable solutions that can help citizens engage in democracy, the exchange of ideas, and which provide first-hand accounts of government activities.

Winners will receive prize money of $10k  for first place, $8k for second place, and $6k for third.

The deadline for applications is 13 September, after which participants will be selected on 18 September.

The hackathon will take place between 29 September and 1 October, with winners announced on 1 October.

According to Seedstars, the theme of the challenge comes from the growing decline of democracy around the world.

The Swiss-based group regularly holds programmes and challenges around the world. It also has a fund dedicated to investing in African startups, which made its first investment in 2020.

This challenge, however, is not location-based — and is therefore open to applicants from around the world.

“The hackathon calls for socially committed citizens worldwide, problem solvers, creative minds, democracy experts, programmers, graphic and web designers to come together in a 72-hour collaborative digital process,” Seedstarts said in a statement.

“It will finish on a Demo Day where the participants will pitch in front of a jury. The top three solutions will be selected and the winners will receive prize money of $10K USD for first place, $8K USD for second place, and $6K USD for third.”

How to apply for the Seedstars Digital Democracy Challenge

Teams that want to apply for the challenge need to have at least three members. You must also already have an idea or minimum viable product for the hackathon.

Your solution will need to address certain key challenges outlined by the hackathon, which include:

• Populations cannot rely on face-to-face or in-person meetings for civic participation.
• Internet restrictions due to government shutdowns or throttling.
• The suspension of major social media platforms by governments.
• Media censorship.
• Government disinformation and misinformation campaigns.
• Digital surveillance of citizens by authorities, including the persecution of dissidents and critics.

In the application, you will be asked to provide your country, team name, and team members. You will also need to explain your solution, the stage of development, the target customer, and your startup’s business model.

To apply, you can visit the Seedstars Digital Democracy Challenge website.

Read more: Applications open for Gauteng Accelerator Programme Innovation Competition

Read more: SA startup Envisionit Deep AI wins $50k at Cisco global challenge

Featured image: Christina @ wocintechchat.com/Unsplash