Challenge details · Amsterdam Tech Week · 18 June 2026
Build the ultimate broker app on the Alpaca API. Design a user-first brokerage or trading experience on top of the Alpaca paper-trading API, using Lovable to go from idea to working prototype inside the timebox, in the spirit of a modern consumer bank like bunq. Pick a clear focus and execute it well rather than covering everything shallowly.
The objectives
You are scored on eight objectives, each from 0 to 5, for a total out of 40.
1Connected broker account: Alpaca paper account live/ 5
2Market View: live or recent prices/ 5
3Order ticket: place buy and sell paper orders via Alpaca/ 5
4AI-powered trade ideas, portfolio management, or other AI functionalities, either for trading, portfolio management, or investing/ 5
5Portfolio intelligence such as risk metrics or handy overviews/ 5
6Agentic AI trading agent/ 5
7Creativity: a unique feature outside this scope/ 5
8Explainability: a central file that describes how the features work and why they were added/ 5
Timeline
12:30Walk-in and check-in
13:00Grand opening and panel with bunq, Alpaca and Lovable, then team formation
13:30Build starts. Open build, no grading during it. US markets open at 15:30 Amsterdam time
15:45Build closes. Judges score every team on the eight objectives
16:15The top 4 teams pitch live
16:45Winners, prizes and drinks
How judging and grading works
You build freely until 15:45. There is no grading during the build, so focus on shipping a working, demoable product.
At 15:45 hands come off keyboards. Judges score every team on the eight objectives above, each from 0 to 5, for a total out of 40. Grading is done live at your laptop, so there is nothing to upload.
The four highest objective totals go through to the pitches.
From 16:15 to 16:45 the top 4 present live from their own laptop, up to 5 minutes each.
Three jurors, two from the Alpaca team and one from bunq, each score your pitch from 1 to 10, for a total out of 30. The highest total wins.
The objective total selects the top 4 but does not carry into the pitch score, so a strong pitch matters.
Using Lovable (free Pro Plan 1)
All participants get Lovable Pro Plan 1 (100 credits) free for the event. Redeem it before the end of the day, and do not share the code outside the event.
No account yet? Click "Get started" and create an account.
Already have an account? Go to Settings, then Plans and Credits.
Select Pro Plan 1 (100 credits) and choose the monthly plan.
At checkout, enter the discount code above.
Already on a paid account? Just create a new workspace to redeem it. You may be asked for payment details, but you have one month to cancel and can cancel as soon as it is activated.