Unearthed Hackathon to gather techies in Cape Town

The programme started over two years ago in Perth, Western Australia as an alternative route to addressing challenges faced by some of the world's largest resources companies. With a focus on open innovation, the Unearthed Hackathon regularly features multiple resources companies where around 100 software developers, engineers, data scientists, designers and entrepreneurs gather together to solve key industry problems.

Unearthed Cape Town will take place at Workshop17 on the V&A Waterfront from 5-7 February, with innovators and entrepreneurs from all over South Africa already signed up to take part. The event will comprise university students from across all of the major South African universities, as well as engineers, designers, data scientists, entrepreneurs and developers from across the booming technology startup sector in Cape Town.

Fast-tracking innovation

All participants will be provided fantastic opportunities, however it is the winning team that will be taken on to the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba conference to present their solution on stage to hundreds of global resources companies. There will also be cash prizes for the first place team, the runners up and the best team with members under the age of 25. Anglo American will be providing several challenges and data sets, as well as opening the event with a keynote address on Friday 5 February.

"Technology implementation costs time and money - two critical resources that the mining sector currently requires to reinvent itself. The Unearthed Hackathon is the perfect platform to fast-track innovation and short-circuit this process," said Jeannette McGill, head of technology and Innovation, Anglo American.

This is the first global event for Unearthed, as the tech innovation company expects to host another two international events later in the year, plus events within Australia.

"We are excited to run our first international event and connect with innovators and entrepreneurs in Cape Town. Global resources companies have put forward challenges and data, which we will connect with innovators and entrepreneurs, creating new prototype solutions," said Zane Prickett, director of Unearthed.