The 2026 challenge

The Marketing Analytics Hackathon Challenge 2026 focuses on prosocial crowdfunding in subsistence marketplaces – economic environments characterized by resource constraints, limited buffers against shocks, and restricted access to formal financial systems.

Using loan-level data from 2016 to 2025, participants are invited to investigate what drives some loans to attract funding more quickly than others in subsistence marketplaces. Teams are also encouraged to examine how persuasive patterns differ across meaningful segments and how they evolve over time.

The ultimate objective is to generate rigorous, data-driven insights that can inform more effective strategies for borrowers and crowdfunding platforms operating in resource-constrained environments.

Key figures

The Marketing Analytics Hackathon 2026 concluded with an exciting Grand Final on 4 September 2026, bringing together 44 teams and 133 students from 19 universities across eight countries: Australia, China, India, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. 
UNSW School of Marketing
UNSW School of Marketing

Judging panel

The Hackathon was further strengthened by the expertise of a distinguished judging panel spanning academia, industry and the not-for-profit sector. Their varied perspectives enriched the evaluation process and gave students the opportunity to present their work to leaders in marketing analytics, digital experience, responsible business and social impact:

  • Madhu Viswanathan — Loyola Marymount University, Marketplace Literacy Project
  • Lisa Mastoras — Executive Manager, Fair Foundations
  • Ashleigh Johnson — Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand, Jellyfish
  • Sofia Lloyd-Jones — Executive Director, UNSW Marketing and Digital Experience
  • John Roberts — Scientia Professor, UNSW School of Marketing
  • Veronica Jiang — UNSW School of Marketing and UNSW Business School SDG Committee Chair
 

Their feedback helped bridge theory and practice, recognise outstanding student work, and encourage students to think more deeply about the role of marketing analytics in addressing real-world challenges.

 

 

Expert Panel Discussion: Marketing Analytics, AI, and Social Impact

The Grand Final also featured an expert panel discussion on “Marketing Analytics, AI, and Social Impact”. The panel brought together perspectives from academia, industry, technology and the not-for-profit sector to discuss how marketing analytics and AI can be used responsibly to create social impact:

• John Roberts — Scientia Professor, UNSW School of Marketing

• Lisa Mastoras — Executive Manager, Fair Foundations

• Lewis Fantom — Head of Martech, Jellyfish

• Sydney Demaria — Associate Director, UNSW Marketing and Digital Experience

• SunAh Kim — UNSW School of Marketing, panel moderator

The discussion connected the Hackathon’s prosocial crowdfunding challenge to wider questions about the responsible and impactful use of data, analytics and AI.
UNSW School of Marketing
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First-place Team FundForge posing with a prize cheque and certificates alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Second-place Team Cranium Collosium posing with a prize cheque and certificate alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Third-place Team Fansipan posing with a prize cheque and certificate alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Prize winners

1️⃣ FundForge — Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, China
2️⃣ Cranium Collosium — Australian National University and University of New South Wales, Australia
3️⃣ Fansipan — University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales, Australia
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Participants and guests of the 2026 MA Hackathon posing outside a UNSW building with certificates, prize cheques and a School of Marketing banner.

Team 5 GUYS posing with certificates alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Two event representatives posing with certificates beside a projected photo of Team CMUBS at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Team Cultural Blend posing with certificates alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

A Team Novarith participant holding a certificate and posing with two event representatives beside a UNSW lectern at the 2026 MA Hackathon

Team Five Sigma posing with certificates alongside event representatives at the 2026 MA Hackathon.

Finalists

• 5 GUYS — University of New South Wales, Australia
• CMUBS — Chiang Mai University Business School, Thailand
• Cultural Blend — University of Technology Sydney, Australia
• Novarith — University of Auckland, New Zealand, and University of New South Wales, Australia
• Five Sigma — University of New South Wales, Australia

Gallery
  • Attendees chatting beside a UNSW Marketing Analytics Hub banner at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Seated attendees smiling and chatting with a standing attendee at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Attendees arriving at a registration table beside a UNSW Marketing Analytics Hub banner.
  • A speaker addressing the seated audience from a UNSW lectern beside a presentation screen.
  • Attendees smiling while seated at the front tables during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Rows of seated attendees watching a presentation at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Two seated participants following a presentation with an open laptop in the foreground.
  • An audience member holding a microphone while speaking to a presenter at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • An attendee speaking into a handheld microphone while seated with others at a front table.
  • A seated attendee writing notes in a notebook with a pencil during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Team members presenting beside a projected line chart and a UNSW School of Marketing banner.
  • A team member speaking into a microphone while holding notes, with two teammates beside the UNSW lectern.
  • An attendee wearing a pink scarf seated with a notebook at the 2026 MA Hackathon, with other attendees behind.
  • An attendee speaking into a handheld microphone at a front table while other attendees listen.
  • An attendee holding a microphone and gesturing while speaking at a front table during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Attendees viewing a projected Adaptive Storytelling Playbook slide beside a UNSW Marketing Analytics Hub banner.
  • A projected presentation screen showing a row of remote participants joining the 2026 MA Hackathon online.
  • A standing attendee speaking into a microphone among seated participants at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A presenter holding a microphone and gesturing beside a UNSW lectern with an open laptop.
  • A presenter speaking into a microphone beside a UNSW Marketing Analytics Hub banner.
  • An audience member standing to speak into a microphone while surrounding attendees remain seated.
  • Seated attendees watching a presentation at the 2026 MA Hackathon, with an open laptop in the foreground.
  • An attendee wearing a pink scarf speaking into a microphone, with an open notebook on the table.
  • Participants seated in rows beside large windows, watching a presentation at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A seated attendee speaking into a handheld microphone during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Seated attendees watching a presentation while an attendee at the back holds up a phone to take a photo.
  • A team member speaking into a microphone beside a projected presentation, with two teammates near the UNSW lectern.
  • An attendee gesturing at a front table while surrounding attendees listen during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A team of four presenting beside a UNSW lectern and School of Marketing banner, with one member speaking into a microphone.
  • Two team members presenting beside a projected slide titled Moved to Lend and a UNSW School of Marketing banner.
  • A side view of seated attendees listening during a presentation at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Trays of sliced oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit and melon prepared for refreshments at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A buffet table with trays of rice, vegetables and other dishes, with fruit platters and bottled drinks behind.
  • A wide view of four seated panellists, a speaker at the UNSW lectern and the audience during a panel discussion.
  • A seated panellist speaking into a microphone and gesturing while fellow panellists and the moderator listen.
  • A panellist in a blue jacket speaking into a microphone and gesturing towards the audience during a panel discussion.
  • A seated panellist in a white shirt speaking into a microphone while fellow panellists and the moderator listen.
  • The seated moderator speaking into a microphone and gesturing towards fellow panellists during a discussion.
  • An audience view of four panellists and a moderator seated beneath a presentation screen at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A presenter at a UNSW lectern beside a projected slide showing a world map and a School of Marketing banner.
  • Attendees watching a presentation from the front tables, with notebooks and an open laptop in front of them.
  • Attendees watching remote presenters on a projected slide titled The Tri-Signal Persuasion Engine.
  • A wide view of attendees seated in rows facing the front of the room during the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Two team members presenting beside a projected slide titled Beyond a Good Story and a UNSW School of Marketing banner.
  • A group of attendees chatting beside large windows during a break at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Attendees enjoying refreshments at a counter with bottled drinks during a break at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Four participants standing in a small group and chatting during a break at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Three attendees smiling and chatting beside the presentation screen and UNSW lectern during a break.
  • An attendee seated with a water bottle during a break, with other attendees chatting near the refreshment counter behind.
  • Two attendees chatting at a table while other participants network beside the refreshment counter.
  • Three attendees standing and chatting beside a table with notebooks during a break at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Participants chatting beside a refreshment counter stocked with snacks and drinks at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Two attendees chatting beside the refreshment counter while holding drinks, with other attendees talking behind them.
  • An attendee holding a phone horizontally to photograph a presentation from among the seated audience.
  • A team presenting beside a projected data chart while seated attendees watch at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • Attendees serving food onto plates from buffet trays during a break at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A wide view from beside the panel showing seated panellists and the audience during a discussion at the 2026 MA Hackathon.
  • A side view of a seated panellist speaking into a microphone while fellow panellists and the moderator listen.
  • A speaker smiling while addressing attendees from a UNSW lectern beside a School of Marketing banner.
  • A projected slide reading Congratulations to All Teams, with a team photograph and remote meeting participants along the bottom.
  • Three attendees posing outside a UNSW building, with two holding an oversized prize cheque and certificates.