WeChat Joins Industry Peers in COVID-19 Hackathon to Combat Pandemic

China’s most used social platform WeChat announced that it is partnering with major technology platforms, including Facebook and Microsoft to invite developers to a global hackathon in the hope of combating the coronavirus pandemic with technology. Starting from March 26, the hackathon invites developers to build locally or globally focused software solutions that tackle the challenges related to the pandemic as identified by The World Health Organization (WHO).

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The initiative encourages the developer community to come up with creative technological solutions to help billions battle the COVID-19 outbreak in China and shift to a digital lifestyle. Innovators around the world are invited to the #BuildforCOVID19 campaign using technologies of their choice, including WeChat’s mini program – a vibrant ecosystem within the WeChat app with more than 300 million DAU.

Developers are asked to submit their projects on Devpost before 9 a.m. PST March 30. The major themes inviting submissions include healthcare, vulnerable populations’ daily needs, business challenges, community and social relations, education, and entertainment. Representatives from the participating companies will serve as judges in selecting projects based on their social impact related to COVID-19, and the highlighted ones are expected to be announced on April 3.