How did we end up here? Whenever we create something new, it’s only intuitive to first look at what has already been done. The things we have already achieved form the foundation for what is yet to come, which may turn out even better than we could have imagined.
The Junction 2025 team also pondered their humble beginnings before starting to build this year's main event. Especially now, as the 10th anniversary of the Junction Hackathon is upon us, it feels only fitting to take a small glimpse into how we got here.
How did THE Junction Hackathon start?
In brief (because this is not a history lesson, so don’t hit snooze just yet): in 2015, a group of students from Finland decided to create a place where people could come together and get creative with technology, which is how the first main event was born. Just over 500 people from 33 countries showed up to build, break, and reimagine technology together.
What started as a scrappy gathering quickly snowballed into a global tech playground: over the years, Junction has welcomed more than 20 000 participants from over 100 nationalities to create more than 2500 unique projects. Even the pandemic could not stop the momentum – in 2021, the main event was organized in a hybrid format connecting hackers across 10 international locations. Since then, Junction has been back live and even louder, and this year we are leveling it up again.
What are some of the key takeaways participants gain from hackathons?
Community - Hackathons are a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends within the vibrant tech community. We aim to bring together a diverse mix of people with varying interests, backgrounds, and ideas – the only criterion is that you’re looking to turn creative ideas into lasting impact. Additionally, Junction connects partnering companies with future tech superstars and has generated more than 2500 recruitment leads.
Learning something new - The world is full of problems and inefficiencies waiting to be solved amidst continuous technological change. It is one of the main responsibilities of the Junction 2025 team to find some of the most interesting ones for you to hack. By curating an exciting selection of challenges with our amazing partners each year, we ensure that even if you participate multiple years in a row, your weekend will never look the same because you’ll always be diving headfirst into something new.
Having a fun weekend - Last but certainly not least, the goal is that you have the best time and create memories that will last for years to come. Sure, you could stay up all night and solve tech problems every night of the year if you wanted, but for just this one weekend, let us take care of the practicalities while you focus on turning late-night laughs into something groundbreaking.
Lastly, why do you always highlight the number of nationalities among participants?
Highlighting the number of different nationalities at our events is the easiest way to showcase the astounding variety of creative people who come together at Junction. In reality, it’s about fostering better innovation and enabling maximum learning opportunities through cross-disciplinary collaboration to create a community of changemakers.
Whether you realize it or not, you always approach problems through the framework you have built from your studies, work, and life experiences. The fun part is that this framework is unique to everyone. By discussing your differing views into the wee hours of a hackathon night, you broaden your outlook and gain new perspectives.
And let’s be honest, it’s pretty cool whenever something “made in Finland” gets global attention, so we like to boast about it just a little.
Excited yet? We certainly are. So dust off your laptops and get ready – Junction 2025 is now less than 100 days away.
