RiskON 2025 Student Hackathon: "Transforming Uncertainty into Opportunity"
Initiated by Prof. Walter Farkas and co-organized by the Department of Finance
The RiskOn Hackathon is an innovative initiative that brings together students and finance professionals to tackle real-world risk management challenges.
Launched in 2023 by Prof. Walter Farkas and co-led by Daniel Fasnacht, the event aims to advance risk management in Switzerland by combining the fresh perspectives of Master’s and Executive Education students with the expertise of seasoned practitioners. Participants collaborate to develop innovative solutions to non-financial, financial, and digital risks.
Challenges 2025
43 students from universities across Switzerland and Liechtenstein collaborated to address real-world risk management challenges, with their proposals evaluated by a jury of leading figures from the Swiss finance industry. 11 Teams were fromed with fellow students to take part in this Hackathon, where participants have 30 hours to develop innovative risk management solutions.
Challenges:
1. Quality Assurance for Client Contact Notes — How can AI help?
2. KYC vs. Adverse Media — Can AI match identities across sources?
3. AI-powered Fraud Detection — How can patterns reveal risk in private banking?
The winning teams receive funding and support to develop their ideas into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) or Proofs of Concept (PoC) within six months. Furthemore the students get the opportunity to co-write articles with UZH professors, gain access to the latest research and boost your academic profile.
The jury selected the following winners:
Challenge 1 by Julius Bär:
Quality Assurance for Client Contact Notes — How can AI help?
Winners:
Finn Michler
Akhila Obilisetty
Emmanuel Oyelana
Alessandro Tosino
Challenge 2 by ZKB:
KYC vs. Adverse Media — Can AI match identities across sources?
Winners:
Antonio Del Rio
Alexandra Gort
Jindi Huang
Yi Wei
Challenge 3 by EFG International:
AI-powered Fraud Detection — How can patterns reveal risk in private banking?
Winners:
Leonhard Böss
Tamanna Kumavat
Program
Date: 2-3 September 2025
Location: University of Zurich (UZH)
| Day 1 | Day 2 | ||
|
12:00 |
Welcome and Lunchbox |
09:00 | Start Second Day |
| 13:00 |
Opening: Prof. Dr. Harald C. Gall, |
15:00 | Pitches |
| 13:30 |
Kickoff Challenges |
18:00 | Apéro Riche & Award Ceremony |
|
open end |
20:00 | Facultative RiskON Afterparty | |
Sponsors and Supporters
This third edition of the RiskON Hackathon was hosted again by the Department of Finance in collaboration with UZH’s Innovation Hub,sminds and N9 House of Innovation. The academic lead partner is the renowned Master of Science UZH ETH in Quantitative Finance.
The event is also supported by the Swiss Financial Innovation Desk , Innosuisse Innovationbooster AI, and partners including LGT Private Banking , the Verband Schweizerischer Kantonalbanken, and the Swiss Risk Association.
More information:
RiskON 2025: https://www.riskon.ch
RiskON 2024: https://www.df.uzh.ch/en/news-events/events/2024/riskon-2024.html
Photographer: Biravin Kalathevan and Rabea Hüppi, www.rabeahueppi-fotografie.com