Malaysia Wins 3rd Place at Ocean Hackathon® Grand Finale 2023!
Team Nemo, winners of Ocean Hackathon® KL 2023, brought Malaysia to the global stage with a 3rd place win in France. Read how their marine innovation caught international attention.
OHKL 2023PAST HACKATHONS
We’re thrilled to share that Team Nemo, champions of Ocean Hackathon® Kuala Lumpur 2023, brought home a 3rd place win at the Ocean Hackathon® International Grand Finale in Brest, France!
Their winning project, iHAB, is an intelligent web-based tool designed to predict and manage harmful algal blooms (HABs) — a pressing issue that affects marine life, fisheries, and coastal economies. By turning ocean data into early warnings, iHAB helps protect both ecosystems and livelihoods.
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s Sole Host City
Ocean Hackathon® is a global initiative launched by Campus Mondial de la Mer (France), bringing together cities around the world to run 48-hour hackathons focused on ocean challenges. In 2023, Kuala Lumpur again proudly stood as the only Asian city to host this event — a milestone made possible through the support of the French Embassy in Malaysia.
Alongside cities such as Toulon, Bournemouth, Cape Town, and Rimouski, KL’s participation gave local talents a global platform to shine.
🧠 Team Nemo: A National Team, United by Purpose
Team Nemo was made up of seven students from across Malaysia:
Asia Pacific University (APU) : Brenden Tan Poh Guan, Trishah Rajendran, Wong Weng Hong
Universiti Malaya (UM) : Liu Ziwei
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) : Joeyanatasa Jona Dapanis, Lee Jia Jyet
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) : Yong Chun Hao
This unique collaboration brought together expertise in data analytics, marine science, and software development. Although most of the team were undergraduates, they impressed the jury in France with their strong concept, sharp analytics, and professional delivery.
Their journey began at Ocean Hackathon KL 2023, where they won the local round hosted in partnership with the Cultural and Scientific Cooperation Department of the French Embassy in Malaysia. With support from mentors and coordination teams, they went on to represent Malaysia in the international final.
🥉 Making Waves in France
At the Grand Finale in Brest, each team had just six minutes to pitch and five minutes of Q&A with an international jury.
🥇 1st Place – Team Toulon (France): Vanessa
🥈 2nd Place – Team Concepcion (Chile): Licence to Krill
🥉 3rd Place – Team Nemo (Malaysia): iHAB
Team Nemo walked away with a €1,500 prize, global recognition, and a place in Ocean Hackathon® history — as Malaysia’s first team to reach the podium.
🇫🇷 A Stronger France–Malaysia Ocean Innovation Partnership
This achievement goes beyond a single team. It highlights the growing collaboration between France and Malaysia in ocean-related research, innovation, and education.
The French Embassy in Malaysia has been instrumental in building this bridge — introducing Ocean Hackathon® to Kuala Lumpur in 2021 and continuing to support young talents through mentorship, data access, and international visibility.
🔭 What’s Next?
With the next edition of Ocean Hackathon® Kuala Lumpur coming in 2025, we can’t wait to see what Malaysian innovators will build next.
Team Nemo’s journey shows just how far curiosity, collaboration, and courage can go — from a weekend hackathon in KL to a stage in France.
📢 Stay connected for updates on applications, workshops, and the next wave of ocean tech breakthroughs.