• 53 participants from 21 teams successfully developed working AI solutions to real-world business challenges within eight days.
• Strategic MOU signed with Korean student associations of NUS, NTU, and SMU to establish regular hackathons and internship pipelines.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the growing need for practical AI literacy among future talents, Codepresso, a leading AI competency assessment and training enterprise, announced the successful completion of the Zero100 AI Builderthon. Held from August 22 to 29 in Singapore, the event empowered local Korean university students to build functional AI solutions for real-world corporate challenges. To learn more about Codepresso's innovative educational programs, visit [codepresso.io].

Uniting Singapore's Top Talent

The event was led by Juhoeng Park, executive member of the Entrepreneurship Society at Singapore Management University (SMU), in collaboration with the Korean student associations at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and SMU. It was jointly planned with local venture builder Wilt Venture Builder. The program attracted 74 applicants, with 53 participants across 21 teams completing the eight-day program.

Juhoeng Park said: "We wanted this to be more than a ranking competition. The goal was for students to define a real problem, build a solution in a short period, and explain it directly to industry professionals for concrete feedback. Students from the three schools shared that experience for the first time, and we will carry the participants' feedback and records into the next edition."

Transforming Concepts into Working AI Solutions

Participants worked on bottlenecks in Codepresso's workflows across two tracks: Judgement and Automation. Most participants were from non-technical academic backgrounds. 

Jihoon Kim, Chief AI Officer at Codepresso, led an intensive online workshop on vibe coding, an approach to building software using natural-language instructions and AI coding tools. Participants also received one-on-one project mentoring and joined an in-person roundtable discussion with industry experts from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and NetApp. The program also featured a talk by Heeduk Park, CEO of Translink Investment.

Rewarding Innovation and Business Potential

At the final presentations held at SMU on August 29, an eight-member judging panel evaluated the projects. Judges included Donghun Lee, CEO of Codepresso; Heeduk Park, CEO of Translink Investment; Daero Won, CEO of Wilt Venture Builder; Jungpil Hahn, a professor at NUS Computing; and Donghyuk Shin of AWS. Ten teams received awards across four categories: Beyond Brief, Business Potential, Builders Choice and 0→100. 

"The Builderthon showed us that students were more motivated by real-world problems and the opportunity to receive feedback on their solutions than by incentives," said Donghun Lee, CEO of Codepresso. "The participants demonstrated that they were ready for more demanding challenges. Our agreement with the three student associations provides a foundation for making the Builderthon a recurring program."

"We wanted this to be more than a competition focused on rankings," said Juhoeng Park. "Our goal was for students to identify a real problem, build a solution in a short time and present it to industry professionals for specific feedback. This was the first time students from the three universities had shared this experience, and we will use participant feedback and documentation from the event to improve the next edition."

Establishing a Sustainable AI Talent Pipeline

Solidifying its commitment to continuous education, Codepresso signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the three student associations. The agreement aims to host the Builderthon regularly, connect participants with internship and employment opportunities, and foster a sustainable ecosystem where graduates return as mentors. Looking ahead, Codepresso plans to hold a second edition in December 2026 and launch the ZERO100 Busan Builderthon in South Korea in September 2026.

About Codepresso

Founded in 2019, Codepresso is an AI competency assessment and training company whose vision is to standardize AI literacy. The company provides hands-on training and competency assessments in data science, cloud computing and AI for major South Korean conglomerates, universities and public institutions. Its offerings include SkillCertify, a platform for practical IT skills assessment, and AI Fluent, an AI skills assessment and training service. Through these services, Codepresso supports organizational AI transformation and the standardization of workforce competencies. Codepresso placed third in the GITEX AI ASIA Supernova Challenge in Singapore in April 2026. It also operates Women in Vibe Coding, a global vibe coding community for women, across four countries, including Singapore.

Source: Codepresso