HackFwd launched a pan-European programming competition targeted at under-18s - HackNow. The aim of the contest is to challenge technically talented young people to create a cool application during the summer. The scope of freedom in choosing what app to build and how is vast. Participants can build anything from a web, Facebook or iPhone app to a graphics demo or a Linux distro. Contenders can program in any language they want as long as they stick to the platforms accepted by the competition: Windows (XP and higher), Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Linux and of course web browsers. The competition is already open and will run all summer until August 15th.

This remarkable initiative to engage today's youngsters is backed up by enviable prizes and a great jury. As for the prizes, the winner would receive €5,000 in cash, latest Android smartphone and a trip to Berlin in late September to present their work at a HackFwd's event. Second and third places would get €1,000 plus the latest Android phone each.

Adding prestige to the contest are its jurors. The list includes Joanna Shields (Facebook's VP of Europe, Middle-East and Africa), Dave McClure (founder of 500 Startups), Mike Butcher (editor of TechCrunch EU), Jean-Paul Schmetz (founder of Cliqz) and Lars
Hinrichs (founder of HackFwd).

HackFwd itself is the main sponsor of the competition. 'We want to show our support of the emerging technical talent in Europe, and this contest is a way of doing that", says Lars Hinrichs, founder of HackFwd. 'After all, geeks are the artists of the 21st century.'

All of the above makes HackNow the most prestigious competition for under-18s. Not nearly enough effort goes into cultivating technical talent among young people, which makes this initiate all the more welcome.People over 18 who'd like to support the initiative can sing up to be HackFwd's referrer and spread the word among young coders.

The competition and its focus also show HackFwd's growing intensity and determination in finding the most talented young people in Europe and helping them turn their talent into business. As a preseed investor, it is in HackFwd's interest to go for the best of the best. As a result of that search, young people get motivated to use their talent for something meaningful, get comments on their work from esteemed judges and possibly get some coveted prizes.

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