i2i

The DataHack4FI is an annual innovation competition that promotes evidence-based decision-making for improved financial service provision to low-income individuals. The competition is targeting established fintech’s and pairs them with expert data scientists to unlock the potential of the fintech’s internal data. Fintech’s accepted to the competition receive specialised support from their paired expert data scientist to address business and data challenges they are currently facing in efficiently serving underserved customers.
Season 1 focused on supporting entrepreneurs in brainstorming and developing new solutions for expanding access to financial services in the low-income space and ran from October 2016 to May 2017. The initiative took place in seven countries (Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia) and involved over 200 participants, from 58 different teams.

There are three partners behind the DataHack4FI competition in Uganda; insight2impact (i2i), Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU) and Innovation Village. i2i is a five-year program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the MasterCard Foundation with the aim of unleashing the power of data for financial inclusion. FSDU is a non-profit funded by DFID seeking to develop a more inclusive financial sector with a focus on low-income individuals and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Innovation Village is innovation hub in Kampala promoting new technologies, businesses, products, services and start-ups in Africa.

The objectives for the DataHack4FI can be summarised as follows:

• To develop data solutions in financial service provision that benefit the unserved and underserved
• To strengthen the data science and innovation abilities of individuals within the fintech
• To convene innovation hubs, fintechs, expert data scientists and other development partners to build ecosystems that further stimulate and support the use of data for financial inclusion

We are looking for expert data scientists to support and advise the fintechs on how to make better use of their data so that they can overcome the business challenges they are facing in serving low income customers. Applications could include; alternative data based credit scoring, data-driven customer segmentation etc.

In Uganda, the timeline and activities are below. All in-person events will occur at Innovation Village. If you are not based in Kampala, we will skype you into sessions.