The Alibaba Cloud Global AI Hackathon made its grand debut in Malaysia as part of the 2025 global series, following its kickoff in Singapore.

Co-hosted with AGMO, the hackathon brought together 250 Malaysian developers, university students, and entrepreneurs to build real-world artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for local challenges, Alibaba Cloud said in a statement on Thursday.

During an intense 48-hour sprint, 75 teams competed to solve real-world problems sourced directly from Malaysian industries, including insurance claim inefficiencies, small business financing gaps, and tax compliance hurdles.

Participants used Alibaba Cloud’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) platforms — Model Studio, Quick BI, Lingma, and PAI — to craft solutions tailored to real-world Malaysian needs.

Notably, teams from the University of Malaya dominated the podium, securing all top three awards with innovations that showcased deep technical mastery of Alibaba’s AI tools.

The hackathon featured an exceptional panel of judges comprising industry leaders and technology executives.

“At Alibaba Cloud, we see AI not just as a technology, but as a tool for meaningful problem-solving,” said Kun Huang, General Manager of Malaysia at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

“This hackathon is about empowering developers to experiment, collaborate, and unlock new ideas that address real-world needs,

“We’re proud to support Malaysia’s innovation journey by making advanced tools and resources accessible to those shaping the future,” he added.

Mohd Alhafidz bin Yahya, Director of AI Innovation Exchange of the National Artificial Intelligence Office, said the Alibaba Cloud AI Hackathon plays an important role in nurturing homegrown talent while advancing Malaysia’s ambition to be a regional leader in artificial intelligence.

“From making tax easier for freelancers to improving small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) funding access, this is exactly the kind of impact Malaysia needs as we strive towards our goal of accelerating AI adoption in the country,” he added.

The event drew strong support from across Malaysia’s innovation ecosystem, with 14 partners including government agencies, startups, and academic institutions contributing as mentors and judges.

More than 20 industry leaders shared their expertise throughout the hackathon, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing AI innovation in the country.

With remarkable energy and creativity on display, the hackathon was more than just a competition, and it served as a catalyst for deeper collaboration and ongoing innovation.

As Alibaba Cloud advances its global journey, it remains dedicated to driving Malaysia’s digital innovation from within by supporting local talent, startups, and the wider AI ecosystem, said the statement.

Alibaba Cloud Malaysia AI Hackathon 2025 Winning Projects:

1st Place – Team: Hokkien Mee is Black and Red
Project: InsureScan
An AI-powered solution that analyses documents, detects car damage, and scores claim validity to streamline insurance claims processing with speed and fraud resistance.

2nd Place – Team: 214
Project: Expense Tracker & Tax Filing Assistant for Freelancers
A tax assistant that uses OCR and Qwen to automate receipt scanning, categorise expenses according to Malaysia’s Form BE, and generate personalised tax summaries with QuickBI.

3rd Place – Team: Ah Lee Papa
Project: FundSight AI
A financial data platform that recommends suitable grants for SMEs and offers data-driven insights to improve financial decision-making.

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