SINGAPORE, Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADA, region's biggest independent digital transformation company, has announced the winners of the ADA Business Messaging Hackathon 2023. After a grueling 4-months, Team MedAI clinched the top spot, demonstrating an innovative AI-Powered WhatsApp Healthcare Platform that holds the potential to transform healthcare through WhatsApp & AI. Team Columbus and Team Inquisitor were awarded second and third prizes respectively.

Over 400 teams from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia took part in this year's virtual hackathon which launched on July 17, focusing on developing and building innovative and scalable WhatsApp chatbot solutions for businesses. 

The event was held virtually, and brought together teams of tech enthusiasts, AI engineers, software developers and student communities from universities such as Asia Pacific University, Binus University, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia, Singapore Management University and National University of Singapore. Impressively, most of the top 10 teams in the hackathon were made up of students. This underscores the vibrant talent and innovative spirit they bring, showcasing a bright and promising future in AI and technology.

ADA, pioneers in data and analytics, and a driving force of data, AI and tech lead transformation in Asia, are committed to building the innovative and active community among passionate digital talents in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to accelerate conversational AI transformation on WhatsApp.

The solutions were evaluated based on the originality of their ideas, creative use of technologies, and viability from a business perspective.

Team MedAI's winning solution, the MedAI Healthcare Platform uses AI models in healthcare to enrich their customer experience. They also use a WhatsApp chatbot to connect with customers and offer preliminary assessments. Patients can photograph a potential skin condition, upload it to the chatbot for an assessment, and schedule a doctor's appointment. This innovative approach secured them a well-deserved prize of USD10,000.

Team Columbus's Columbus AI, amidst intense competition, distinguished itself as the 1st runner up. This AI tool serves as an exceptional travel companion, reshaping travel journeys into accessible, delightful, and personalized experiences. Columbus AI showcased how the entire travel experience can be gamified through tour quests by working with local merchants in popular tourist destinations. Their significant achievement is recognized with a USD7,500 prize.

Amid a sea of inventive chatbots, Team Inquisitor's conversational commerce solution - PurchasePal secured its place as the 2nd runner up. Have a birthday party coming and need help in buying all things necessary? Just chat with PurchasePal and it will recommend every item that you need, and picking up the best offers from e-commerce marketplace so you can complete the checkout and pay for your items seamlessly.  PurchasePal stands out with its ability to streamline research, enable adaptive purchasing, and utilize AI for predictive procurement. Their remarkable feat comes with a prize of USD5,000.

"Inspired by the vast potential of WhatsApp chatbots solutions built with ADA's Business Messaging Platform in the hackathon, I'm captivated by their transformative power in reshaping human-chatbot interactions. As conversational AI continues its march, I'm excited to see how it will continue to bridge gaps and make our digital experiences more user-friendly and efficient. Our aspiration for our AI-Powered WhatsApp Healthcare Platform is to uplift healthcare quality across both public and private healthcare, not just nationally but internationally as well." said Hagid Chida, the leader of Team MedAI. 

The judges, a panel of esteemed industry experts from Meta, ADA and GSMA were highly impressed by the innovative WhatsApp chatbot solutions presented in the hackathon.

"MedAI's AI-Powered WhatsApp Healthcare Platform stood out as it is elevating innovation in healthcare and pharmacies, enhancing the patient experience and convenience on WhatsApp. Their integration of generative AI points toward transformation in both public and private healthcare, emphasizing the value of early patient care." said Srinivas Gattamneni, CEO of ADA.

"Within messaging, billions of people and millions of businesses use our messaging services every day to connect. In fact, there are more than 600 million conversations between people and businesses on Meta's messaging platforms. I am inspired and humbled to see how AI will supercharge Business Messaging and the quality of ideas that were presented to solve real-world problems & help businesses grow.

A majority of the top 10 finalists were student submissions, a good sign, and I believe we will continue to see even more innovative ideas in the future as we push boundaries on how technology can enhance human potential." mentioned Nicole Tan, Country Director, Meta Malaysia.

"I was impressed by the high levels of interest and quality of entrants. It's clear that developers who entered the awards are working on potentially transformative new digital services, using Generative AI and WhatsApp which can help tackle some of the main reasons behind the mobile usage gap: digital literacy and skills. I encourage all the participants to continue to explore and innovate using WhatsApp and Generative AI to make services more accessible and help build more inclusive digital nations. " mentioned Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA.

ADA wishes to thank all participating teams for their hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit. The success of ADA Business Messaging Hackathon 2023 is a testament to the evolution and transformation of conversational & generative AI on WhatsApp. 

For more details about the hackathon, winning chatbots, or future events, please visit https://ada-asia.com/business-messaging-hackathon.

About ADA

ADA offers a comprehensive suite of services that empower enterprises and brands to bolster digital marketing, sales transformation, and data transformation across Asia. The company has a multi-faceted, data-driven approach that encompasses:

i. Data Transformation Services: Drawing expertise from data analytics, data engineering, and Customer Data Platform (CDP) services, ADA helps brands make data-informed decisions, optimize data infrastructure, and manage customer data effectively for personalized and efficient marketing efforts.

ii. Marketing Solutions: This entails performance marketing, enabling clients to efficiently target consumers on platforms like social media, native ads, display ads, and search marketing. Additionally, ADA offers creative solutions tailored to boost user engagement and conversion rates. The segment also involves marketing technology transformation, which includes consultation on the implementation of managed services. These services equip brands to deliver outstanding customer experiences using advanced technology platforms.

iii. E-commerce Solutions: ADA assists brands with comprehensive store management, ensuring smooth operations on various platforms such as marketplaces, social channels, third-party messaging channels, and proprietary websites.

iv. Customer Engagement Solutions: Enterprises leverage these solutions to improve customer support. It facilitates real-time communication with consumers through channels like SMS, WhatsApp, and other popular messaging applications.

ADA maintains a robust presence in Asia with 12 offices spread across the region and employs approximately 1,400 professionals. The company's dual headquarters are in Singapore and Malaysia. Notably, ADA's shareholders include industry giants like Softbank, Axiata, Mitsui, and Sumitomo Corporation.