National ITMX, Thailand’s key payment infrastructure provider, officially launched “Hack to the Max Season 2: Shaping the Next Evolution of Financial Innovation”. Teaming up with industry giants like Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri), ExpresSo NB, Techsauce, and five leading universities, NITMX aims to cultivate a new generation of innovators to tackle pressing challenges under the theme “Building Trusted Payment Ecosystem,” focusing on bolstering credibility and security in digital finance.
Hack to the Max Season 2: Applications are open from May 19 to June 30, 2025, for aspiring talents aged 18-25, offering a chance to win a trip to the Singapore Fintech Festival and significant cash prizes.
Bangkok, Thailand – In a decisive move to champion innovation and reinforce the backbone of Thailand’s burgeoning digital economy, National ITMX Co., Ltd. (NITMX) unveiled the second iteration of its acclaimed hackathon, “Hack to the Max Season 2: Shaping the Next Evolution of Financial Innovation.” The formal announcement, made on May 19, 2025, at the vibrant Next Tech venue in Siam Paragon, signals a renewed commitment from Thailand’s central payment infrastructure operator to foster a secure, reliable, and forward-looking financial landscape. This year’s initiative places a strategic emphasis on “Building Trusted Payment Ecosystem,” a theme born out of the urgent need to address evolving cybersecurity threats and enhance public confidence in digital financial services.
The ambitious project sees NITMX collaborating with a formidable alliance of private sector leaders and academic institutions. Key partners include Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri), ExpresSo NB, and Techsauce, alongside five prestigious universities: King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thammasat University, the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science at Chulalongkorn University, and the Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University. This collaborative powerhouse aims to create a dynamic learning ecosystem, empowering Thai youth to develop groundbreaking solutions for the nation’s financial sector.
Mr. Chatchai Dusadenoad, Managing Director of National ITMX, articulated the core mission behind this year’s event, highlighting the critical issue of trust in the current financial environment. “This year’s theme… we’ve seen a significant erosion of trust due to various fraud incidents,” Mr. Dusadenoad stated, referencing the widespread impact of online financial scams. “So, we decided it’s time to convene and explore ideas that can genuinely rebuild the credibility of our systems.”
He further elaborated on the vision for Hack to the Max Season 2, positioning it as more than just a competition. “This project is not merely a competitive arena; it’s a platform to cultivate and connect Tech Talent with national-level missions. It’s a stage for building a community of individuals passionate about transforming Thailand’s financial future through the power of innovation,” Mr. Dusadenoad explained. “We intend for this project to be a space where everyone – whether students, developers, or future entrepreneurs – feels they are ‘part of building the nation.’ This is the starting point for growing together.”
The hackathon is calling for applications from May 19 to June 30, 2025. It targets a diverse group including students, developers, creative thinkers, and any member of the public aged 18-25 with a keen interest in digital financial infrastructure technology, irrespective of their educational background. This inclusive approach underscores NITMX’s commitment to unearthing talent from all corners.
Participants will be challenged to devise solutions for two main tracks under the overarching theme of “Building Trusted Payment Ecosystem”:
- Next-gen Payment Solutions for Financial Future: This challenge invites participants to revolutionize Thailand’s payment landscape by designing innovative solutions that will redefine digital transactions. Contestants are encouraged to think beyond current technological limitations and envision payment experiences that are exceptionally convenient, swift, secure, and seamless, truly catering to the demands of the digital-age consumer.
- Secured Payment Solutions: Focusing on fortifying the Thai financial system, this track calls for innovations in security that will elevate trust. This could involve high-efficiency fraud detection and prevention systems, mechanisms for risk transaction alerts and responses, or collaborative platforms between organizations to shield consumers from new-age financial threats.
Mr. Dusadenoad shared his broader expectations for the initiative: “We are not just looking for brilliant ideas or winning teams. We anticipate that this hackathon will be the genesis of connecting talented young individuals with crucial national missions. We hope to see ideas that dare to challenge the existing financial systems, courageously leveraging technology to forge new solutions. Most importantly, we aim to create an ecosystem of learning and innovation that grows alongside Thai youth.” He envisions an environment where participants not only understand market needs but also gain hands-on experience with support from educational institutions through to industry players.
From the pool of applicants, 15 finalist teams demonstrating outstanding concepts will be selected to present their work during the Pitching Day, scheduled for September 6-7, 2025. These selected teams will receive an invaluable opportunity to work closely with leading experts from National ITMX and its esteemed partners throughout the project, refining their ideas into viable prototypes ready for real-world application in Thailand’s financial industry.
The grand prize for the ultimate winning team is an exclusive trip to the Singapore Fintech Festival, a globally renowned financial innovation showcase, taking place from November 11-14, 2025. This package includes full support for travel, accommodation, and expenses. Additionally, two winning teams from each of the two challenge tracks will receive cash prizes of THB 10,000 each, while two teams with particularly outstanding ideas from each track will be awarded THB 5,000 each, providing further impetus for developing their innovations.
Building on the triumphs of its inaugural season, which unearthed a wealth of creative ideas and skilled individuals, Hack to the Max Season 2 elevates NITMX’s role from a talent scout to a community builder and a crucial bridge connecting tech talent with the wider financial industry. “What we saw last time truly surprised us… some participants, despite their youth, demonstrated a profound understanding of industry pain points and even used banking jargon fluently, indicating a genuine passion to engage with us,” Mr. Dusadenoad recalled, expressing his admiration for the previous cohort.
He emphasized the importance of open-mindedness and looking beyond conventional solutions. “We are open-minded; we aren’t fixated on solving only existing ecosystem problems. We are ready to build something new,” he asserted, citing the transformative impact of PromptPay as an example of past innovative leaps that can still be further developed in areas like Cross-Border Documentation and tax efficiency.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Dusadenoad offered a powerful message of encouragement to potential participants: “Hack to the Max Season 2 is an opportunity for young talents to learn, grow, and create something that will be ‘actually used’ in the world of digital finance. Don’t let fear or self-doubt hold you back, because sometimes, your idea could be the turning point for an entire system. Come build your future, and the future of Thailand, with us. National ITMX welcomes everyone.”
This initiative is, therefore, more than a mere competition; it represents a significant investment in the future of Thailand’s financial industry. It aims to build resilience against cyber threats while nurturing the next generation of Tech Talent to become key drivers of the nation’s digital economy, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation. The success of Hack to the Max Season 2 will be measured not just by participation numbers or prizes, but by the tangible positive impact and engagement it fosters within the broader financial ecosystem.
Interested individuals can find more details and apply for the program at https://bit.ly/hacktothemax-ss2. Further inquiries can be directed to National ITMX via Facebook, LinkedIn, their website (https://www.nitmx-hacktothemax.com), or email ([email protected]).
About National ITMX: National ITMX Co., Ltd. was established through the collaboration of major commercial banks in Thailand and operates under the supervision of the Bank of Thailand (BOT). It supports the development and promotion of the country’s electronic payment infrastructure, including card-based and non-card-based systems, as well as direct account-to-account transactions. Its flagship achievements include the PromptPay system, Cross-Border QR Payment services enabling international payments via Mobile Banking, and the Digital Supplychain Finance system (PromptBiz), which facilitates easier access to funding for SMEs through new infrastructure.
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