Pinch Me! I Want 50K
Win $50,000 cash. Build something real.
Pinch Me! I Want 50K is a national hackathon brought to you by The Founders Union and Pinch Payments. Over one weekend in late July, teams across Australia compete to build and pitch the best solution using the Pinch Payments API, with $50,000 cash going to the winner.
How It Works
Form a team of 2-4, combining technical, commercial, product, and design skills. Build over the weekend of 25-26 July, with a first submission due at the end of the 48-hour build window. Use the polishing week through to 31 July to refine before final judging. Six finalists pitch live at Demo & Pitch Night, with winners announced the same evening.
The brief is open. Any use case that leverages the Pinch Payments API, billing and invoicing, subscription management, payment automation, embedded payments, marketplace payments, reconciliation workflows, and more. The sandbox environment gives participants access to real-world payment functionality without processing real payments.
Who Can Enter
Founders, developers, designers, product thinkers, anyone with an idea and the drive to execute. AI-assisted development tools are fully permitted, including Cursor, Replit, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and similar assistants.
Where To Participate
Online: Take part fully virtually, with events live-streamed and the 48-hour build window fully hybrid.
In person: 48-hour build workshops taking place at hubs across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Hybrid: Join in-person events at your national hub, the launch day, and the demo evening in Sydney, while still building virtually.
Key Dates
Activity Date Registrations Close Wednesday 22 July, 11:59PM
Team Formation Thursday 23 July
Community Opens Monday 20 July
Launch Event Friday 24 July, 5-8pm
Sydney + live-streamed nationally First Submission Deadline Sunday 26 July, 7:00PM
Polishing Week Begins Monday 27 July
Final Submission Deadline Thursday 31 July, 11:59PM
Judging Period 1-2 August
Finalists Announced Sunday 3 August
Pitching Prep 4-9 August
Demo & Pitch Night / Winners Announced Monday 10 August, Sydney + live-streamed nationally
Judging Criteria
Submissions are assessed across six criteria: innovation, technical execution, user experience, commercial potential, problem solving, and effective use of Pinch technology.
Judges: Ben Cull, Co-founder of Pinch Payments, and Carolyn Breeze, CEO of Scalare Partners.
The Prize
$50,000 cash for first place — one of the largest cash prizes in the Australian startup ecosystem.
Register now to secure your place. In-person spots are limited.