AXA Hackathon: Focus on innovation

Around 300 participants and 1,000 cans of energy drink: This was the 13th internal hackathon in Winterthur organized by AXA. It's a great opportunity not only for techies, but for anyone who enjoys tinkering together.

November has a bad reputation: the cold, fog and darkness make us all feel dreary. But at AXA, there is little evidence of this. On November 11 and 12, the Hangar in the Winterthur Superblock is bursting with life and ideas are popping up like bubbles. For two days, solutions are eagerly developed, programs are written and prototypes are built. The Hackathon really boosts internal innovation. The most promising ideas then go into production. In this way, employees can play an active role in shaping their job and the future of the company  – an experience that is incredibly motivating and satisfying.

This time 37 teams are hacking, once again more than at the previous Hackathon. What is unusual about the 2025 AXA Hackathon is that for the first time, less than half of the participants  were from IT. Fifty-three percent work in other areas  across AXA. Around a quarter participated for the first time this year, and almost a third were female participants. Since 2023, around two dozen ZHAW students have taken part.

Curiosity, openness and enthusiasm for playing around

The experience is just as important as the outcome in a hackathon. The creative process, the team spirit, the fun factor – all this inspires the participants. “Our Hackathon is the right place for anyone who likes to learn new things, broaden their horizons and meet new people,” says Natalie Aeschbacher, Senior IT Communications Specialist and member of the Organizing Committee since 2019. The only requirements are to register, submit (or join) an idea and attend the preparatory workshop. As always, security and data protection are a top priority, otherwise there are no rules and no thematic guidelines either .

The teams work individually and in a self-organized manner. Aeschbacher explains: “As the Organizing Committee, we offer an organizational framework to allow the desired flexibility.” And it’s precisely this freedom that makes the Hackathon so popular. This opportunity to work in a completely different way for two days – detached from day-to-day business – is appealing to more and more employees. The most exciting part is getting to solve problems in truly diverse teams. “Diverse backgrounds, skills and interests all come together – these are the ideal conditions for a successful hack,” explains Aeschbacher.

It’s all about cooperation

Once again, the mood during the Hackathon was impressive: Bustling, dynamic, positively charged. In addition to plenty of coffee, Red Bull sponsored energy drinks and soft drinks help keep productivity levels constant. But the biggest motivator is the teams themselves: Pulling together on the same track inspires and encourages top performance.

But the Hackathon is not just about work. Over dinner , there is plenty of time to get to know each other and to exchange ideas. “When we make new acquaintances and find out who does what and why, we automatically grow closer,” says Natalie Aeschbacher. The lively discussions continue at the cocktail party following the award ceremony. Particularly in times of Smart Working, where people no longer meet each other every day in the office, employees appreciate the Hackathon as an opportunity for interdepartmental networking.

AXA and the ZHAW side by side

The internal hackers received support from 23 advanced students at the ZHAW. Most of them came from the Business IT program, , which has an elective in the AXA Hackathon and awards ECTS points for it. Some Computer Science students  also took part. It proved worthwhile integrating the students into the existing AXA teams. Their perspective enriches AXA, while at the same time the students benefit from the insight into a large company. An HR point of contact also offers students the opportunity to find out about AXA as an employer and, if interested, to leave their contact details.

AI and GenAI are hot topics

It’s up to each team to decide what they want to do during the Hackathon. Although it’s not a requirement, the topics usually have something to do with everyday work at AXA. The participants enjoy being able to concentrate on one thing for two full days with no distractions . The various themes ranged from complex IT problems to new insurance products and tools designed to facilitate day-to-day work. Important keywords here are automation, efficiency boost and optimization of internal processes. Artificial Intelligence  (AI) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) were once again in the spotlight.

“Oscars” for the best ideas

Anyone who has ever taken part in a Hackathon will know how much can be achieved in a short space of time under these ideal conditions. Everyone therefore eagerly awaits the pitches. The idea, result and outlook must be presented within three minutes. For each category  – originality, potential, sustainability and technical excellence  – the various juries award an Oscar to the team with the most convincing pitch. Interested AXA employees who are not on site can follow the final live via Teams. It was tough making a decision, but this time the jury chose the following ideas:

Originality: ”AXAhoi” to optimize the onboarding process

“AXAhoi” is an idea that is to be used in the Human Resources area. New employees are accompanied and supported by an AI buddy (a kind of virtual goddess) from the moment they sign the contract until the end of the probationary period. In addition to the relevant information, they also receive emotional support. “AXAhoi” wants to make it possible for new employees to find their way around and feel at home at AXA as quickly as possible.

Potential: ClaimTrack for transparent claims processing

Everyone who recently reported a claim to us would like to know the progress of their claim. Currently, customers make repeated inquiries regarding their claims. “ClaimTrack” is intended to actively guide our customers through the claims process in the future: with live status updates and automated communication. This is how we promote trust. Incidentally, this hack was initiated by a group of ZHAW students.

Sustainability: Camps4Kids to relieve the stress during the school holidays

Camps4Kids received the Oscar for sustainability. The team’s goal is to create attractive solutions for employees with school-age children. The fact that parents have five weeks’ vacation while their children have 13 weeks presents families with major challenges every year. During the Camps4Kids weeks, employees should be able to drop off their children when they start work and pick them up again after work. There are already plenty of ideas for the children’s program.

Technical requirement: “FrAID” to prevent insurance fraud

Team ”FrAID” wowed the jury with a complex concept for automatically detecting fraud attempts among the hundreds of claims that are reported to AXA every day. Every claim report is checked for any inconsistencies using artificial intelligence. For example, it can be determined that the evidence photo was taken at a different time or place – or was even taken by AI. The tool even detects manipulated purchase receipts.

Deliver, learn, laugh

Even if not all teams can won a prize, everyone involved in the Hackathon is a winner. Because much more important than an Oscar are the insights, experiences and encounters of these two days. Everyone delivered a great deal, learned a great deal, laughed a great deal, and last but not least, achieved added value for AXA through their commitment.