Hylife Hackathon 2025: A Catalyst for Innovation in Chiang Mai
Hylife Group recently hosted the Hylife Hackathon 2025, an event that took place from November 7th to 8th at the Marriott Hotel Chiang Mai. The hackathon brought together a diverse group of innovators from across the country, all working to develop cutting-edge platforms and software solutions aimed at transforming Chiang Mai into a future-ready smart city.
The theme of the event was “Elevating Chiang Mai through Digital Transformation and Automation,” which challenged participants to create technology-driven solutions addressing key industries in the region. The competition attracted a wide range of talents, including software developers, UX/UI designers, tech students, and startup founders. The event also received support from various ecosystem partners such as the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), Thai Programmer Association, CMU STeP, and Manao Software Co., Ltd.
Day One: Learning and Idea Development
On the first day of the event, November 7th, the energy and enthusiasm of the finalists were palpable. The morning began with insightful workshops on marketing, coding, and presentation techniques, led by experts and executives from leading organizations such as Martech Expo, Seekster, 10Ants Consulting, and Manao Software.
In the afternoon, the competing teams entered the prototype development phase, working on their platform concepts under the close evaluation of expert judges from the Thai Programmer Association and Manao Software. These judges assessed each project’s creativity, system design, and technical feasibility, providing valuable feedback to the teams.
Day Two: Intense Competition and Visionary Insights
The second day of the event, November 8th, saw the atmosphere intensify as excitement continued to build. The day started with an opening speech by Mr Dhanush R. Nair, Co-Group CEO and Executive Director of Hylife Group. He shared his vision for this year’s Hylife Hackathon along with Hylife Group’s management team, including Mrs Watcharaphorn Lin, Executive Director; Mrs Pola Mazumdar Nair, Non-Executive Director; Mr Matthew Lin, Non-Executive Director; Mr Bryan Tang, CEO of Dr Hygiene Medical Products Co., Ltd.; and Mr Richard Teo, Group Director of Operations and Transformation.
This was followed by a panel discussion on the topic “Hack the System: Turning Urban Pain Points into Business Opportunities.” The panel featured top executives and founders from leading tech organizations, including Opsta Thailand, Techsauce, Recycoex, and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA). The discussion explored how technology can be applied to drive sustainable economic growth in Chiang Mai.
Inspiration and Final Presentations
A special Inspiration Talk was delivered by the CEO of Pay Solutions under the topic “Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Building Businesses the World Will Remember.” This talk offered insights on how to build and scale a business in today’s rapidly changing digital landscape.
The day concluded with the final round of the competition, where teams pitched their business plans to a panel of distinguished judges from international business and investment sectors. The winners will receive a total cash prize of over 180,000 THB. In addition, the winning teams and those that pass the due diligence process will be eligible for investment opportunities worth more than 4,000,000 THB. This support aims to transform their ideas into practical innovations that benefit society.
Winners of the Hylife Hackathon 2025
The winners in each category are as follows:
- Smart Living and PropTech: PINUP
- Smart Agri-Food and Supply Chain: PanKaset
- Smart Manufacturing and Health Products: StrokeSight
- Smart Finance, Asset and Debt Management: finfy
The winner of the people’s choice award and the digital spark award is StrokeSight.
Vision for the Future
Mr Dhanush R. Nair, Co-Group CEO and Executive Director of Hylife Group, shared his vision for Hylife Hackathon 2025, stating: “Technology and innovation are pivotal forces in shaping the future of Chiang Mai and Thailand. At Hylife Group, we believe that fresh ideas are the heart of transformation. Hylife Hackathon is not just a competition—it is a platform to ignite inspiration, empower youth and emerging entrepreneurs, and collaboratively develop solutions that truly address the needs of the city.”