Three engineering students from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) have won the 2023 Women in FinTech hackathon with their innovative e-parking solution.
The team, called E-Parking, is made up of Christine Amutuhaire, Charity Ainembabazi, and Elian Mwesiga. Their product is a mobile app that will revolutionize the parking experience in Ugandan cities. It uses QR code-initiated parking, real-time payments, and other features to simplify the parking process and enhance resource management.
The team beat off stiff competition from more than 20 other teams to win the hackathon. They were awarded a prize of Shs 4 million (US$1,000).
Minister of State for ICT Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, who presided over the awards ceremony, applauded HiPipo for using technology to champion women empowerment. She said that the government will continue to support initiatives that empower women and the youth.
HiPipo CEO Innocent Kawooya said that the Women in FinTech hackathon is part of a broader initiative to champion women’s financial inclusion. He said that the organization is committed to closing the gender gap in access to technology, skills, and usage of digital financial services.
The top seven teams in the hackathon collectively shared $10,000 in prize money. The other winners were:
- BorePay (Shs 2 million)
- Business Banking Hub (Shs 1.5 million)
- FinHub (Shs 1 million)
- HPaysa (Shs 1 million)
- Tax on Point (Shs 1 million)
- Simbula Tugende (Shs 1 million)
The hackathon was held from August 10 to 17, 2023. It was attended by over 100 participants from across Uganda and Kenya.
The winning team, E-Parking, plans to continue developing their product and launching it in the near future. They are confident that their solution will make a positive impact on the parking situation in Ugandan cities.