Innovation Days

Swissquote Innovation Days are one of the Group’s many innovation programmes, built around a 24-hour Hackathon and two weeks of talks and collaboration. Open to all, it invites employees from across the company to form cross-functional teams and work on real challenges. The goal is to turn creativity, technology and teamwork into tangible solutions that strengthen Swissquote’s products and operations.

Rather than treating innovation as something that happens “on the side”, Innovation Days bring it into the flow of work. Employees explore new ideas, learn from external experts and build prototypes that can be taken further. The Hackathon then acts as a sprint where ideas are turned into demos and pitched to a jury.

Hackathons have a long history at Swissquote, but they were relaunched in 2024 after a pause during the Covid years, with a company-wide edition supported by the Women in Tech community. Building on the strong engagement generated by the event, the Board turned the initiative into an ESG goal for 2025. The ambition was to go beyond a single 24-hour event and create something more strategic and inclusive: a programme designed to nurture a safe and fun place to explore, enhance cross-department collaboration and propose new ideas and technologies.

For the 2025 edition, the format shifted from a 24-hour hackathon to two weeks of Innovation Days, held from 10 to 21 November. During this period, employees could attend INNOV’TALK sessions where external speakers delivered keynotes and shared insights on various topics related to AI, followed by the Hackathon itself. Speakers such as Dr Venkat Subramaniam, an internationally recognised software developer, renowned for his expertise in agile practices and his ability to make complex technical concepts accessible and inspiring, explored how AI is reshaping everyday life and sustainable finance, while Dr Nesrine Changuel, product coach, shared practical ways to create products users truly love. For many employees, it was a rare chance to “bring conferences home” and interact directly with leading voices in AI and product innovation.

The Hackathon was structured around three innovation tracks aligned with Swissquote’s strategic priorities: product innovation, sustainable and efficient operations, and augmented employees. 93 employees registered, forming teams that submitted 24 projects. Track leaders refined the shortlist to 15 teams, which then pitched to a jury combining executives, managers, an external expert and an employee vote, ensuring both strategic alignment and bottom-up influence.

The winning teams illustrated how Innovation Days turn ideas into concrete solutions. “Hedging Easy”, winner of the track focused on the bank’s offering, developed an FX hedging solution that helps clients protect returns on cross-border investments. “LogAI”, winner in the operational efficiency track, uses generative AI to scan system logs and surface errors and suggest fixes. “ParkSmart”, winner in the people-focused track, proposed a smarter employee parking experience designed to reduce risk and treat occasional drivers as fairly as daily commuters.

Beyond the winners, Innovation Days has already left a mark on Swissquote’s culture. The event sparked the creation of three new communities of practice around Python, open-source software and business analysis, and spurred interest in new business-led communities. With some non-selected projects being considered for the 2026 product roadmap, the programme is proving to be more than an annual sprint: it is becoming part of how employees shape Swissquote’s future.

At Swissquote, innovation starts with our people. Innovation Days are designed to spark ideas, while the Hackathon provides a rapid, hands‑on route from idea to prototype. When teams follow a shared playbook and openly exchange learnings, innovation breaks out of silos and becomes a living, dynamic engine.

This culture is our promise to our employees. By giving them autonomy, genuine ownership and hands‑on experience on real‑world challenges, we enable them to shape Swissquote’s future. At a time when attracting and retaining tech talent is critical, this approach sharpens Swissquote’s position as a thriving workplace.

It also boosts our organisational agility. Placing people at the centre of everything we do cultivates a natural environment for experimentation and cross‑functional collaboration. It widens the sources of innovation and keeps us adaptable in markets reshaped by AI and sustainable finance. As machines advance at unprecedented speed–analysing data, automating tasks and even simulating creativity–technology remains a tool that supports, not replaces, human ideas, judgement, and responsibility.

Our people are the powerhouse that fuels Swissquote’s growth, driving the sustainable success we envision for the years ahead.

— Tara Yip, Chief People Officer