Sensis and Pollenizer launch $50k hackathon

Start-up incubator Pollenizer has teamed up with Sensis to host a two-day hackathon later this month, inviting entrepreneurs to vie for a share in more than $50,000 worth of prizes and perks.

The hackathon will be held on March 24 and March 31, so teams will actually have one week to work on their final product, which must integrate the Sensis API.

Sensis API, or SAPI, is a service for developers who are seeking a business search API solution for Yellow Pages and White Pages business listings and advertising content.

It has been custom built to provide simple, ongoing access to a collection of local business listings, so it allows users to search for listings in ways “you may not even have considered”.

SAPI is aimed at anyone who wants to provide Australian local business search capabilities within their web application.

Sensis has partnered with Pollenizer – which recently celebrated its fourth birthday – in a bid to promote SAPI, hence the hackathon.

While the development tools, frameworks and application focus are up to the participants, the final product must integrate SAPI.

According to Pollenizer spokesperson Pierre Sauvignon, participants will share in more than $50,000 worth of prizes and perks. The hackathon will be held at Pollenizer’s offices in Sydney.

“On Saturday, March 24, all the idea generators, code masters and design maestros come together to brainstorm,” Sauvignon says.

“Ideas are sparked, teams are formed, products are scoped, and it all culminates in a series of pitches to our panel of industry experts. All teams get feedback and the best are encouraged to continue on.”

“Teams will then have a week to research their audience, model their financials, plan their marketing, debate features, discuss strategies, and bond together over their product ideas.”

“Then on Saturday, March 31, the group hackathon begins as teams return to finish and release a working prototype of their product.”

There is a range of prizes, including $5,000 for the team with the best technical execution, and $5,000 for the team with the best commercial concept.

“In addition, we will be looking for one amazing concept to invest in,” Sauvignon says.

“The lucky team will be offered $10,000 investment and enrolment in our four-month incubator program, which comes with over $30,000 worth of additional perks.”

Perks include $2,000 per month of hosting credit with Ninefold, monthly gatherings with the Pollenizer Ventures investors, and access to the broader Pollenizer network and pool of experts.

“To top it off, some of our portfolio companies will be represented, and will have perks and goodies for the attendees,” Sauvignon says.