TikTok wrapped up the grand finals of its TechJam 2025 on 12 September in Singapore, spotlighting the brightest young tech talent from across the country. The annual hackathon drew over 2,000 applications and 308 project submissions, with just 12 teams of 49 students making it to the finals to tackle real-world challenges through creativity and innovation.
Guided by this year’s theme, “Build With Joy, Code For Change,” participants immersed themselves in TikTok technologies, joined technical workshops, and connected with the platform’s hiring teams. Finalists were tasked with problem statements ranging from improving online location reviews to developing smarter automated app testing, all while championing collaboration, experimentation, and curiosity.
The top prize of USD$10,000 went to blueberry jam, a five-member team from Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, for their project PrivaStream. Their solution, a real-time privacy filter for TikTok livestreams with cross-platform potential, was praised for advancing AI-driven privacy and security.
Two runner-up teams also impressed judges:
- SCC for Denoising Reviews with Mamba, an AI tool that filters and classifies user reviews with semantic precision.
- AC Acai for Compliance Sentinel, an AI system that identifies compliance risks in new features by simulating threats, analyzing documents, and generating clear reports.
The winners were chosen by a distinguished judging panel of TikTok engineers and industry experts, including Rick Tan, Chief of Digital Transformation at IMDA; Dr. Woon Hau Chin, Director of Technology & Standards at IMDA; and Chung Wei Tat, Programme Manager of AI Talent Development at AI Singapore.
TikTok TechJam 2025 Winners – Singapore Finals
- 1st Place: blueberry jam
- 2nd Place: SCC
- 3rd Place: AC Acai
- 4th Place: Hokkaido Milk Bread
- 5th Place: Rudy’s Rangers
- People’s Choice Award: blueberry jam
