Request for Applications: She’s Next Hackathon 2025

Over the course of 10 days, selected participants will collaborate in teams to tackle real-world business challenges—guided by expert mentors and inspired by leading industry voices.

Participants will work on cutting-edge challenges across various industries, from fintech to sustainability, while receiving mentorship from successful entrepreneurs and access to valuable resources.

Challenges

• Choose from five exciting challenges
  • Future-proofing Business
    • Goal: Create a business idea that helps other businesses or consumers prepare for uncertainty, disruption, or change.
    • Big question: How might they help small businesses become more adaptable and resilient in a changing world?
  • The Business Pivot
    • Goal: Invent a product or service born from a radical pivot—or help others navigate theirs.
    • Big question: Big question: How might they help businesses radically shift direction—and turn it into a success story?
  • Smart Money Moves
    • Goal: Launch a fintech or financial education concept that enables smarter decisions and growth.
    • Big question: How might they help women entrepreneurs master money and fund their future?
  • The Next Big Opportunity
    • Goal: Identify an emerging need and design a business around solving it.
    • Big question: How might they identify a new or underserved market—and build for it first?
  • Predicting the Unpredictable
    • Goal: Create a business that helps people or organisations anticipate the future—or respond to change faster.
    • Big question: How might they help people and businesses see what’s coming—and prepare for it?

Funding Information

• Total grant fund across three categories: $20K
• Winning categories:
  • Best Idea: $10,000
  • Most Innovative Idea: $5,000
  • Best Social Impact: $5,000.

Why Participate?

• Expert Mentorship
  • Business mentorship from top experts
• Grants and Visibility
  • Cash grants and visibility opportunities
• Network Building
  • Connection with peers, VCs, and support organisations
• Interactive Webinars
  • Expert-led interactive learning sessions
• Growth Strategy Tools
  • Tools to develop your growth strategy

Eligibility Criteria

• The hackathon is open to women aged 18+ with the following nationalities:
  • Albanian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bosnian and Herzegovinian, Georgian, Kazakh, Kosovar, Kyrgyz, Moldovan, Montenegrin, Macedonian, Serbian, Tajik, Turkmen, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.
• Solo female founders or teams (up to 5 people)
• Startups at any stage
• Aspiring female entrepreneurs
• Men may participate in supporting roles

For more information, visit Emerging Europe.