GCash 3rd ImaGnation Innovation Challenge on Sustainability to build new era of fintech leaders

To help empower Filipino youth to become well-rounded, globally competitive, and problem-solving future fintech leaders, GCash, the country’s number one finance app, has launched the 3rd ImaGnation: #GCash Innovation Challenge. 

This year’s ImaGnation will give Filipino youth a chance to pitch their innovative ideas on how GCash can help address the accessibility of digital financial services to ensure inclusion among its users.This is in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) Financial Inclusion agenda for reduced disparities in financial inclusion, digitalization, and broadening access of individuals to financial services.

ImaGnation is a 4-day case competition for 3rd-year to 5th-year students of any course from any college or university across the Philippines. The aspiring youth are given the platform to turn their innovative ideas into reality and contribute to the e-wallet’s “Finance for all” vision.

To join, students need to form a team of 3 members and create a unique team name. Once done, they can register their team through the official ImaGnation portal at new.gcash.com/imagnation until April 12, 2024. Contestants can also access information on how to submit their pitch 2-3 days after registering on the ImaGnation platform. Afterward, students need to create a video pitch and identify accessibility problems experienced by specific sectors that GCash can address or solve in its current or future states. This should also include a holistic innovation strategy, reflecting at least two Sustainable Development Goals, that determine new product features, marketing executions, or other solutions that address the problems identified. Submission for the video pitch is onApril 16, 2024.

The shortlisted contestants, consisting of the top 15 teams, will get mentorship and training sessions from some of the best GCash leaders to help them hone their skills. This includes providing each team extensive business exposure, and networking opportunities that they can utilize as future fintech leaders. The top 15 teams will join the touchpoint on May 3, as well as a face-to-face 2-day boot camp from May 7 to May 8. The finals will be held on May 10, when the top 5 winning teams will be announced. The winning teams and individual members will also win cash and gadgets.

Beyond the awesome experience for winning teams and their members, this competition will also serve as a feeder program for the GCash Jumpstart Internship Program and Aspire Management Development Program to cultivate young talents from an early stage and stay ahead of the talent market.

ImaGNation 2023 winners Rhoedel and Mary attest to the growth they have experienced since winning the contest.

From being a young aspiring fintech leader to becoming a fully equipped and well-rounded specialist, Rhoedel, one of the Top 15 participants in ImaGnation 2023 and an Aspire Management Trainee, said the innovation challenge has helped him learn invaluable industry insights and practices, which he now applies in his role as one of the team members of the GCash Product Innovations B2C team.

For Mary, ImaGnation 2023 Top 5 Finalist and now a Product Owner at GCash, the innovation challenge gave her an amazing opportunity to be a part of GCash’s transformative projects and innovations that truly make a difference.

Be part of GNation, For the Nation, and become a champion for sustainability. To know more on how to create and innovate with GCash, visit new.gcash.com/imagnation.

The GCash app is available for free on Google Play and the App Store.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph.