KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 – A group of Year 2 students from the Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has made the university proud by winning a Consolation Prize in PayHack 2025, a national fintech hackathon hosted by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) and Ant International.
Their team, proudly named “AnyPay”, developed an innovative solution called “AnyPOS”, a smart and inclusive point-of-sale (POS) platform designed specifically for Malaysian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Going beyond the standard functionalities of traditional POS systems, AnyPOS integrates real-time sales analytics, automated tax reporting (LHDN-compliant) and credit score support, all in a single platform aimed at empowering underserved businesses with digital financial tools. The team consists of 5 members, Chew Zhuo Heng, Ow Yee Hao, Yap Jia Xin, Sim Yee Teng, Goh Chang Zhe, who are year 2 students from SECJH.
A Fintech Solution Rooted in Empathy and Practicality
The team’s success was not only in the solution itself but in the thought process behind it. Drawing from real-world conversations with MSME operators, the team embraced a user-first design mindset, ensuring that AnyPOS addressed genuine business pain points from digital literacy to tax complexity and financial access.
“Reaching the finals of PayHack 2025 was both exciting and eye-opening,” shared one of the team members. “We learned that depth matters more than breadth, it’s better to perfect a few impactful features than to build everything at once. And perhaps most importantly, we realized that even the best ideas must be communicated clearly, especially to audiences unfamiliar with technical jargon.”
Learning Beyond the Code
Throughout the hackathon, Team AnyPay benefited from industry mentorship, feedback loops, and exposure to real-world pitching environments, experiences that sharpened not just their technical skills but their problem-solving mindset, communication clarity, and entrepreneurial confidence.
“Every step of this journey made me a better thinker,” reflected a team member. “This wasn’t just about coding, it was about building responsibly, communicating effectively, and staying grounded in the needs of actual users.”
Strengthening UTM–Industry Collaboration
This achievement adds to the growing list of impactful activities under UTM’s strategic collaboration with PayNet aimed at digital economy readiness.
“This win is a testament to the talent and resilience of our students,” said Dr. Seah Choon Sen, the mentor of AnyPay. “More than just a competition, PayHack 2025 was a platform for our students to test ideas, receive industry mentorship, and experience the pulse of innovation in Malaysia’s fintech ecosystem.”
Looking Ahead
Team AnyPay has already drawn attention from fintech enablers and startup mentors, with potential pathways to pilot their solution further or expand it into a commercial prototype. Their journey is a shining example of how academic-industry collaboration and real-world exposure can accelerate student innovation and impact.
Congratulations, Team AnyPay! Your vision, effort, and growth have inspired us all!
