TikTok wrapped up its 2024 TechJam program in Singapore with a flourish, bringing to a close its inaugural multimarket hackathon aimed squarely at cultivating the next wave of tech innovators in Southeast Asia. The grand finals, held on August 8, served as a vibrant stage where 102 student teams from across the region converged, pushing the envelope of creativity and coding prowess to tackle the real-world challenges businesses grapple with today.
Singapore, as one of TikTok’s global tech and engineering hubs, played host to this event—a testament to the platform’s deepening commitment to nurturing local and regional tech talent. This aligns seamlessly with Singapore’s broader ambition to emerge as a global nexus for artificial intelligence and innovation, with TikTok playing its part in that vision.
Participants were given a tall order: to leverage technology in addressing both the persistent and the emergent challenges businesses face, from the ever-pressing issue of privacy protection to the complexities of AI-based content creation and hyper-personalized shopping experiences. The journey to the finals was punctuated by a series of technical workshops, including a guest lecture delivered in collaboration with AI Singapore (AISG).
The event culminated with the announcement of winners from the grand finals in Singapore:
- AnonymousAds, a solution developed by Ete that employs fully homomorphic encryption and noise injection to deliver targeted ads while preserving user privacy—a breakthrough that clinched the grand prize.
- HoneyBadgers, an AI-driven assistant crafted to boost sales efficiency by optimizing customer interactions.
- AiSL, a tool powered by AI to enhance TikTok’s content creation capabilities for creators with hearing disabilities by automatically generating captions, voiceovers, and emojis for videos featuring sign language.
- EzSeek, a generative AI-powered shopping assistant that integrates sustainability principles into the shopping journey, offering features like virtual try-on and multimodal product search.
- AdBlend, a tool designed by ByteMe to enhance targeted advertising by melding user preference data with AI-driven personalization.
In addition to these accolades, the “People’s Choice Award” recognized three standout teams. SnapSynch was lauded for its AI-powered video editing tool, a game changer that enables users to swiftly extract key moments from videos using natural language prompts. Lockerism earned praise for its blockchain-based solution, combining homomorphic encryption with zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) protocols to secure data analytics. Lastly, Signify shone with its contribution to the smart home industry, using AI to create predictive and adaptive technologies with the potential to elevate user experience.
Cash prizes were awarded to the winning teams, underscoring TikTok’s commitment to rewarding innovation and excellence.
“TikTok TechJam exemplifies our commitment to cultivating the next generation of tech innovators,” said Teresa Tan, TikTok’s director of public policy for Singapore and ASEAN. “By focusing on the development of creative, real-world business solutions, this program not only equips students with critical industry skills but also ignites a deeper passion for technology. We believe it will prepare them to lead and excel in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
The hackathon, which kicked off in June, spanned key offices in Singapore, San Jose, and Sydney, reaching students from partner universities across Southeast Asia. This event is but one chapter in TikTok’s broader narrative of nurturing tech talent capable of driving the next wave of technological advancements in the region.