Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon

Feel free to send us all your questions to [email protected] 

What is Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon?

Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon is a 5-day-event for future-driven healthcare entrepreneurs, in which participants in teams of 2 to 4 people can create digital healthcare solutions. Challenges are also provided by partner organizations of the hackathon.

How long is the hackathon?

The hackathon runs from May 16 to May 20, 2022.

Who can attend Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon?

• The hackathon is open to those with pre-existing teams, teams who would like to find additional teammates (up to 4 per team) and individual entrepreneurs who are on the lookout to join a team that needs their skill sets and experience. 
• Startups that already applied via the F6S page for Vision Health Pioneers Incubator can and are encouraged to join.
• At the end of the hackathon, you can decide if you are ready to take the leap and start your own venture!

How are applicants selected?

Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon is open for all first-time entrepreneurs in healthcare. However, only a project team of a minimum of 2 and a max of 4 - that either came into the Hackathon as a team or a newly formed during the hackathon - will be eligible for prizes. Matching can be done individually via Taikai based on the candidate profiles. CVs don't matter, please don't paste full CVs as an application pitch. What matters is your potential and your passion to shape the future of digital health, no matter your level of experience. Check out our eligibility criteria for the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator.

How much does it cost?

Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon is free for all hackers. This also applies to the onsite event at the Drivery Berlin.

What will the winners get?

If eligibility criteria is met, the winners will get access to Vision Health Pioneers Incubator's 10-month, Berlin-based early-stage startup program that supports first-time founders in healthcare. Besides mentoring and coaching as well as free co-working in our space at Unicorn Workspaces AEG 2, we also support every team member of teams with 2 to 4 persons with €2,000 per month in the form of a special founder scholarship - all equity free and not repayable. So your team could win up to €80,000!

How will the hackathon run?

During the hackathon, mandatory checkpoints will be held, where the teams will meet with experts. Then the presentation of the results is carried out, the Jury asks clarifying questions and marks. 

Who is a mentor?

An individual with business knowledge and experience working with startups, engaged by the organizer of the Hackathon to accompany and advise teams in terms of product thinking, team building, resource planning. Please check out the mentor profiles on our Hackathon website. A minimum of 2 mentor sessions must be held. 

What is a checkpoint?

A checkpoint is a time interval within which we will contact the team. The team will present their current progress. 

What are the requirements for the developed solution?

The created Prototype must not: 

• contain elements of pornography or other materials of a sexual nature
• elements and information promoting violence, inciting social, racial, national or religious hatred and enmity, or containing calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order and inciting ethnic hatred
• contain malware, viruses, spyware and other similar electronic programs that may harm the information system or violate the laws that protect the confidentiality of information

If I do not want or cannot enrol in the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator program in future, can I still participate in Hackathon?

Yes, no problem. You can also join for fun!

What is the format of the hackathon?

The hackathon will be held in a “hybrid” format. It will be a mix of online and offline events: the hackathon itself in terms of setting tasks, working with experts and defending solutions will be held online, at the same time, spaces (co-working) will be opened in Berlin in which teams can work in person if they wish.

Can I register our company employees in bulk?

No. Candidates must register and apply individually (they are evaluated and selected individually too, see above).

Do you pay for the attendees' transportation and/or accommodation costs?

No. 

Do I have to participate in the program every day?

No. But we do encourage you to participate in the most important events and workshops during the hackathon period. 

To be eligible for the pitch, your team should attend a minimum of 2 sessions and should also get in touch with a minimum of 2 mentors. Plus engage with our special mentors. 

When will the schedule be available for Pitch Day?

A detailed schedule will be available closer to the event here on our Hackathon page on Taikai. We will also share more insights during the kick-off online event on May 18, 2022.

Will there be a live stream from the event?

Yes, live streaming will be available for the final pitch event on May 20, 2022. 

Will the events be recorded?

Unless the speaker states otherwise, the events will be recorded and available online in the resource section of the Hackathon page.

Is there food and beverages at the onsite event on May 18?

Yes, food and drinks will be provided free for all attendees. 

Is the venue open 24/7?

No, The Drivery is open between 8 AM and 9 PM.

I am under 18 years old, but I want to take part in the Hackathon, is there such an opportunity?

An individual who has reached the age of 18 can take part in the competition. If a team member is under 18 years old, unfortunately, they will be disqualified regardless of their place in the hackathon.

Why is the official language English?

Most of our participants are from different countries, we have attendees coming from all over the world. English is usually well understood and accepted.

Do I get a participation certificate at the end?

Yes, we can provide participation certificates on-demand in the days following Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon. Just make sure you actually participate.

Is there Wi-Fi at the event?

Of course. The Drivery Berlin is equipped with 5G.

Can I participate in multiple teams?

No, each confirmed participant has the opportunity to participate in only one team. You can propose two ideas and start gathering a team but in the end, you have to decide which project you want to put into the ring during the pitch event. Please then disable any projects which do not participate at the pitch event on May 20, 2022. 

I'm a tech guy but I also do recruiting. Is it OK if I talk to someone at Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon to see if they're interested in working with me?

You can' engage in direct recruitment activities during Vision Health Pioneers Hackathon. This is one of the core rules of the event. The attendees don't enjoy unsolicited targeting, and we don't want to turn the event into a battlefield for hires. Trust us, it's better for you, not only for attendees. Having said this, it's OK if the interest is mutual and both parties want to talk (meaning the attendee approaches you). It's definitely not OK if you're preaching to the crowd or fishing around for interest.

If I want to join the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator, do I need to speak german?

The presence of a German speaker is not mandatory, both the Incubator and the Hackathon are conducted in English. However, in our experience having a German speaker is very helpful in terms of accessing the network, conducting interviews, understanding how the healthcare market works, and talking with doctors and medical nurses. So this would be a big plus and make it easier to enter the German market.

When in the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator, who will be paying for health insurance? 

You will be responsible for paying your health insurance since you are not employed. 

I am a solopreneur, can I also join the Hackathon? 

To participate in the Hackathon and the Incubator, you must form a team of two to four people. 

The Hackathon is also a great way for solopreneurs to find teammates who are not necessarily founders. You can sign up as "hiring", then Hackers who are looking for a team will be able to find you more easily. Additional Hackers can also be found in the "Looking for a team" section of the Participants site on Taikai. Don't forget to sign up for "Find your perfect match" to see who is still seeking a team, so you can find a partner you'll be willing to work with for the next few months.

Can I participate in the Hackathon remotely?

Yes! The Hackathon is a hybrid, you can either join us in person at the Drivery in Berlin on certain days or online!

Do I need to be a citizen of Berlin for the Time of the Hackathon? 

No, you do not need to be a citizen for the hackathon but you do need to be one, should you join the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator. 

Must the problem necessarily be relevant to the German market?

Having a product that is relevant to the German market is also important since the incubator can be used to validate your product in the German market. The German market is in many ways different from other markets since we have DIGA, and is highly focused on a reimbursement scheme. Here different mechanisms apply, than in say a market like Poland where you have a market of self-payers. 

For those applying for the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator cohort: 

How does the performance in the hackathon play into the evaluation of whether a team is chosen for Vision Health Pioneers Incubator? 

With the Hackathon, we now have a different evaluation process than before, but teams are still evaluated with the same criteria. Special mentors will evaluate a team's coachability and address certain topics. For example, they may evaluate how a team works together or if they can accept feedback. A final score will be calculated based on your performance in these sessions and on the performance on the final pitch day which is being evaluated by our jury of experts. 

Please keep in mind that the main purpose of the workshops and mentor sessions is to allow you to reflect, enable a dialogue with experts, make your idea stronger, create new elements to your ideas, and work with experts on shaping your idea. 

It is also an opportunity for you and/or your team to find additional team members from a wide range of expertise.

One of the main goals is to assess where you stand and see where you need support.  We want to help you grow and get better. 

How can I transfer the information from F6S to TaiKai? 

Each team member first needs to simply register as a participant and complete the registration form. It only takes a few minutes. The team lead then needs to complete the questions on a project page - information can be copied and pasted over from previous F6S applications if applicable. Please note if you need additional team members, this can be added. You may also wish to update your team project page as you develop further during the hackathon.