Shenzhen International FinTech Competition 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Shenzhen International FinTech Competition (FinTechathon) International Track, hosted by Tsinghua University’s PBC School of Finance together with WeBank. The competition focuses on financial technology and artificial intelligence under the theme “AI as a Financial Participant.” It is open to full time Bachelor, Master’s, and Ph.D. students studying at universities outside Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Chinese Taipei.

The application deadline is 20 October 2026 at 23:59 (Beijing Time). There is no registration fee. The competition is partially funded: invited finalists receive accommodation and round trip international travel to Shenzhen, while the best teams share a prize pool of RMB 250,000 and can earn fast track interview access to WeBank. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Organizers: Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance and WeBank
• Degree Required: Bachelor, Master’s, and Ph.D.
• Host country: China (Shenzhen)
• Application fee: None
• Open to all nationalities: Yes
• Application deadline: 20 October 2026, 23:59 (Beijing Time, UTC+8)

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility

• Full time Undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D. students
• Studying at an overseas university or research institution
• Institutions in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Chinese Taipei are not eligible

Team Requirements

• Each team must have 2 to 5 members
• Teams can include students from different years, majors, universities, and countries
• Each participant can join only one team across both tracks
• At least 60% of team members must not be Chinese nationals

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Competition Topics:

Each team must choose one of the following six topics:

• Topic A: Personal Finance Assistant
• Topic B: Wealth Advisory Agent
• Topic C: Cross Border and Student Finance Assistant
• Topic D: Insurance Assistant
• Topic E: SME Finance Copilot
• Topic F: Agent Wallet (Autonomous Onchain Wallet), which includes a 0 to 5 point challenge bonus

Prizes and Benefits:

Prize Pool: RMB 250,000

• First Prize (1 team): RMB 100,000
• Second Prize (1 team): RMB 80,000
• Third Prize (1 team): RMB 50,000
• Best Innovation Award (1 team): RMB 20,000
• Excellence Awards: Several teams

Additional Benefits

• Free travel for finalists: The organizer arranges and covers accommodation and round trip international travel for invited finalist members
• Career opportunity: Outstanding teams receive fast track interview access to WeBank
• No registration fee: Participation is 100% free

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Important Dates:

• 20 October 2026, 23:59 (Beijing Time): Registration and submission deadline
• 20 to 31 October 2026: Online review
• 31 October 2026: Finalists announced
• 20 November 2026: Check in and WeBank headquarters visit in Shenzhen
• 21 to 23 November 2026: Grand Final and Awards Ceremony in Shenzhen

Documents Checklist:

• Completed official registration form
• Passport bio page of every team member
• Full submission deliverables for your chosen topic

How to Apply:

1. Read the guidelines. Review the details and problem descriptions on the official guidelines page or the official competition website.
2. Form your team. Gather 2 to 5 members and make sure at least 60% are not Chinese nationals.
3. Download the registration form. Get the official registration form here and fill it in.
4. Prepare passport copies. Attach the passport bio page of each team member.
5. Register by email. Send the completed form and passport bio pages to WANG Yiran at [email protected] to confirm your slot.
6. Submit your project. Email your full submission deliverables to the same address before the deadline.

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