The two-day event saw 350+ innovators, entrepreneurs, and curious minds gathered to solve real problems.
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From April 12 to 13, Ethiopia hosted its first-ever hospitality hackathon, hosted across two venues: ALX Lideta Hub and the Pan African Hall at Kuriftu African Village. The model was borrowed from Cornell University’s and Hilton Hackathon. Cornell University, in collaboration with the hospitality industry, partners with various companies to prepare a hackathon to bring various teams together to answer a specific question through creativity and the use of technology. But this wasn't just a carbon copy. This was Ethiopian themed and focused, yet with a global ambition.
As Yonaiel Tadiwos, Operations Director at Kuriftu, stated, “The hospitality industry in Ethiopia still has a lot of growing to do. But its future is going to grow with Tech.”
The problem statements were drawn directly from operational challenges at Kuriftu Resorts, ensuring that every idea generated was grounded in real need.
This two-day event brought over 350 innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders together to solve real-world problems faced in the hospitality sector, bringing over thousands of contestants.
Originally, the judging was going to be based on a pitch deck and demo. But because of AI writing tools, using English efficiency as a criterion was deemed useless. So only the demos were reviewed.
Day One
The first day was open to four major industry challenges. ALX and WeVenture ran workshops, and by the end of the day, 70+ original solutions were developed, including smart guest services and sustainable resort operations. The day also included a panel discussion moderated by Helinna Ayalew featuring: Yonaiel Tadiwos (Kuriftu Resorts), Yoadan Tilahun (Flawless Events), and Misikir Adane (Muyalogy).
Day Two
The final day at the Pan African Hall felt like a tech version of Shark Tank. The finalists, which were narrowed down to nine teams, pitched their hearts out to a panel of judges: Temesgen Gebrehiwot (ETA Solutions / Zmall), Tadios Tefera (CTO, MMCY Tech), and Yasir Bagersh (Cactus Advertising).
After an intense round of pitches and discussion, a decision was finally made, Team Genit took the victory. The prize included 150,000 birr in cash, a Kuriftu holiday, a spot in WeVenture’s incubation program, and entrepreneurship support from ALX.
The event ended with great success, and it is not the last of it. This hackathon wasn’t just about solving problems, it was about building a tech-powered future for African hospitality. A space where creativity met code, and vision met reality. It was networking, innovation, and talent all packed into one unforgettable weekend.
And this is just the beginning. It’s going to be an annual event. So if you missed it this time, better start warming up. The hospitality-tech revolution is only getting started.
