Arusha Fintech Reloaded Hackathon
The first regional sprint — Arusha took the format upcountry.
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Live API rails
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Build tracks
Announced live
Prizes
What this one's about
A new regional sprint took shape in Arusha — live fintech infrastructure, serious builders, sharp mentors, and a room built for prototypes that move from idea to impact.
Fintech Reloaded took the format regional. The Arusha sprint brought the formula that worked in Dar es Salaam upcountry: builders and operators in one room, live APIs for bulk SMS, mobile money payments, virtual cards, collections and bank accounts — and a day to turn them into something real.
Teams got fintech infrastructure, mentorship, and live product feedback as they built. Then they pitched to the judges: working prototypes for payments, SME finance, and financial inclusion.
Food and chai were provided. Prizes were announced live at the hackathon — the Fintech Reloaded way: no spoilers beforehand.
Inside Arusha Fintech Reloaded Hackathon
Builders, mentors and the prototypes they shipped — straight from the room.
The rails you'll build on
Live APIs for bulk SMS, mobile money, virtual cards, collections and bank accounts — pick a rail and build.
Mobile Money Payments
Collect and move money the way Tanzania actually pays — M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money — through live payment APIs.
Bulk SMS & Verification
Reach every phone in the room — and the country. Bulk messaging plus SMS, WhatsApp and voice OTP for signup, login and transaction checks.
Virtual Cards, Collections & Bank Accounts
Issue virtual cards, spin up virtual accounts for traceable collections, and settle to real bank accounts.
WhatsApp Commerce & AI
Meet customers where they already live. AI sales agents, catalogs, orders and checkout — all inside WhatsApp.
Credit & AI
See real incomes — formal or informal — and turn transaction data into credit decisions people can actually afford.
Cross-border Payments
Move money beyond borders: multi-currency wallets, transparent FX and global transfers for African businesses.
Prizes? Announced at the hackathon.
No leaked prize list, no spoilers. Prize categories are revealed live on the day — so build like everyone's watching, because the judges are.
How the day ran
The Fintech Reloaded format: innovate, integrate, impact.
Arrival
Doors open & kickoff
Badge pickup, chai, and a walkthrough of the live APIs you'll build on.
Teams
Find your crew
Come solo or with a team — team forming happens on the spot. Pick a rail, sketch the idea.
Build
Prototype sprint
Build with mentors and partner engineers on the floor. Food and chai provided throughout.
Demos
Pitch to the judges
Live demos, no slides. Show a working prototype and defend it in front of the judges.
Awards
Winners & prizes, announced live
Prize categories are revealed at the hackathon — never beforehand. Stick around for the announcements.
The ecosystem behind the rails
Meet the partners whose live APIs power this hackathon.
Questions? Answers.
The stuff everyone asks us in the group chat.