Interac U-Innovate Challenge: Reimagining the Future of Payments
What could the future of payments look like if AI could act on our behalf?
On February 4, students brought bold answers to life at the Interac U-Innovate Challenge, delivered by TECHNATION in collaboration with Interac. The live Final Pitch event took place at the Design Exchange in Toronto, where some of Canada’s brightest post-secondary students presented their visions for the future of Agentic AI in commerce.
Over nearly seven weeks, students from across Canada worked in teams of 2-4 to design solutions exploring how intelligent systems could make payments more intuitive, secure, and human-centered. In total, 221 students across 88 teams took part in the first phase, developing concepts and submitting video pitches that responded to the future of Agentic AI in commerce.
From AI that helps manage shared expenses to systems that personalize financial experiences around people’s goals and lifestyles, teams combined creativity, technical thinking, and business insight to think beyond transactions and imagine experiences that could reshape how we connect, collaborate, and transact in a digital world.
A Full Afternoon of Innovation
The Final Pitch event was a fast-paced afternoon that celebrated student talent and big ideas. The day began with opening remarks, followed by back-to-back pitch presentations, a judges deliberation session, and concluded with awards, celebration and networking.
Seven finalist teams took the stage to present live, each demonstrating not only technical understanding, but also strong business thinking and real-world application. The level of preparation and polish made the judging especially competitive.
The judging panel included leaders from Interac and the broader ecosystem:
- Debbie Gamble, Group Head, Strategy & Marketing, Interac
- Sudha Diwedi, Group Head, People & Culture, Interac
- Mario Falvo, Group Head, Finance & Risk, Interac
- Vass Bednar, Managing Director, The Canadian SHIELD Institute
- Sandi Campbell, Executive Director, Future Workforce Development Operations, TECHNATION
As Sandi Campbell shared after the event:
“What an inspiring afternoon at the Interac U-Innovate Student Challenge in Toronto. The variety of Agentic AI-based solutions proposed by the teams demonstrated creativity and business know-how that wowed myself and my fellow judges. Congratulations to the winners and all presenters.”
Her words reflected the overall energy in the room and today’s showcase of how students are already thinking like tomorrow’s innovators.
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The Winning Teams
After a close scoring process, three teams stood out for their innovation, teamwork, and clarity of vision
🥉 Third Place – Team Winterac
Julian Yu | Nathan Leung | Victoria Wu
Their project, Flip, is an AI-powered enhancement for Facebook Marketplace that uses Agentic AI to make buying and selling smarter, faster, and more secure. By integrating an AI negotiation agent with Interac verification and deposit features, Flip reduces back-and-forth bargaining and helps users avoid scams and missed opportunities
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🥈 Second Place – Team WeTransfer
Stephanie Li | Johnny Hu | Alice Nguyen | Tina Zhang
Their project, KONEK ChatCheckout, reimagines how Canadians could shop using Agentic AI by enabling secure, in-chat purchases directly through ChatGPT. Instead of navigating multiple websites and checkout steps, users can research, select, and complete transactions within a single AI conversation, powered by Interac’s trusted payment rails.
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🏆 First Place – Team MBAI
Glen Phillips | Rogelio Cruz Gonzalez | Kelly Lau | Isaac Vestby
Their project, Interac TrustRail, reimagines payments for the autonomous economy by enabling secure, real-time transactions between AI systems. Designed for large-scale industrial environments, TrustRail acts as the “checkout button” for machine-to-machine commerce, allowing AI agents to source suppliers, execute contracts, and release funds autonomously, even outside traditional business hours.
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Why Challenges Like This Matter
The Interac U-Innovate Challenge gave students a real innovation experience.
Participants practiced presenting ideas, working in teams under deadlines, and building solutions that respond to industry challenges. These are the same skills that shape careers in technology, finance, and beyond.
For industry partners like Interac, the challenge also provided a meaningful opportunity to engage with emerging talent and gain fresh perspectives on the future of digital commerce. In fact, several of the student solutions aligned closely with real business priorities. One pitch directly complemented a product Interac is already developing, with student insights offering valuable ideas that could help enhance its design.
As Debbie Gamble, Group Head, Strategy & Marketing at Interac, shared:
“The Interac U-Innovate challenge showed how fresh thinking and a new perspective can help shape the future of payments. What impressed us most was how the finalists paired innovative ideas with real-world practicality, always keeping the human experience at the centre. This is exactly the kind of bold thinking we prioritize at Interac and what drives us to deliver trusted, seamless digital experiences for Canadians.”.
Thank You to Our Community
This event was made possible thanks to:
- Interac, Challenge Partner
- Judges, mentors, and speakers who supported students throughout the challenge
- And most importantly, every student who brought their ideas forward and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible
Get Involved
Interested in future student innovation challenges? Visit TECHNATION’s Career Ready page for upcoming events, innovation opportunities, and ways to get involved.
If you are looking to build a student challenge around your business needs, contact Tim Sidock at tsidock@technationcanada.ca
