DeskHive Triumphs at ALX Hackathon with Smart Workspace Solution

By Epiphanus Obia

Three weeks of coding, debugging, infrastructure setup, sleepless nights and endless calls, discussing and speaking in technical languages, brought about the smile and joy that was clear in the faces of members of team DeskHive, as DeskHive emerged the best product from the just concluded ALX hackathon. The event being the first of its kind was designed to foster collaboration and innovation amongst Nigeria’s tech talent.

Building DeskHive: The Journey

The team, led by David Oladele, formed organically. David and Oluwamurewa, already acquainted, reached out to three fellow ALX alumni, Adeyinka Adeyelu, Opeoluwa Adeyeri, and Emeka Arum, to complete the five member squad required for the competition. Together, they built DeskHive, a platform that connects remote workers to verified flexible workspaces in minutes, while helping workspace managers streamline operations through real-time bookings, payments, and customer management.

The team’s technical stack featured Nest.js for the backend and React for the frontend; choices made to ensure scalability in the future. Beyond the mandatory features outlined by ALX, the team added innovative touches: a multi-tenant system and a HR and accounting section, powered by AI, setting their solution apart.

Overcoming Challenges With Teamwork

The three-week timeline for the hackathon tested the team’s resolve. Tight deadlines, inevitable software bugs, and the challenge of coordinating across busy schedules and on the internet alone all threatened their progress. But clear communication and flexibility in roles saw them through.

Each member of the team brought distinct expertise to the project. Opeoluwa handled back-end development and API integration, while Adeyinka steered project and product management. Oluwamurewa focused on front-end development and UX design. David tackled backend tasks and cloud deployment, and Emeka took charge of cloud management. Despite these formal role assignments, the team operated dynamically, often switching responsibilities as needed, leveraging their prior experience working on professional projects together.

Why DeskHive Stood Out

In David’s words, DeskHive snatched the win because they took the project a step further, “We were more serious, business ready, and confident in our product, we basically took the project a step further.” Their solution, live on the day of the finale, ticked every box set by the judges, from technical execution and innovation to user experience and a clear, impactful pitch.

The team also credits their mentor, Taiwo Adebisi, whose guidance throughout the hackathon proved invaluable. Oluwamurewa noted, “He devoted his time to us, always advising and guiding us, we really appreciate him for being our biggest support.”

With the product nearly ready for launch, the team plans to test and refine DeskHive in the coming weeks. Beyond DeskHive, however, three team members have already embarked on a new project, adapting a similar solution for gym owners to manage bookings and operations, they revealed.

Inside the ALX Hackathon

According to Helen Eboagwu, ALX manager of operations, the success of DeskHive reflects the hackathon’s core mission: fostering community and collaboration among ALX alumni and students. “The goal is to show that alumni and students from different tech tracks can build strong portfolios together and remain community driven,” she said. Answering the question on why the theme and problem chosen for the hackathon, Helen noted that the theme, Workspace Management Solution, was chosen deliberately. She went further to explain that ALX as a large community managing various workspaces wanted a Nigerian solution to simplify booking and space management, as they are currently reliant on a U.S. based platform. “We wanted to have a workspace management product built in Nigeria, by Nigerians,” she added.

The hackathon saw an impressive turnout, from the initial 185 registrations and 30 teams, 26 teams advanced past the first screening, and 10 teams reached the finale. Of those, 9 pitched their solutions live. The judging criteria covered seven aspects: clarity of problem, innovation, UX design, technical execution, scalability, impact, and pitch delivery.

DeskHive emerged as the overall best product and was awarded 500 thousand naira cash and co-working space credit value of 500 thousand naira, team ChronoCrew had the best UX design and was awarded 300 thousand naira cash, team Jechies had the most innovative solution and was awarded 200 thousand naira. According to Ms. Helen, DeskHive’s live product, pitching and attendance tracking set them apart.

Support Beyond the Hackathon

Although ALX holds no ownership over the solutions, it is committed to supporting the teams. All nine finalist teams received free access to the ALX Ventures Program with potential progression to the ALX Incubator Program, if they meet with the requirements, where ALX will help them to get sponsors for their startups. ALX will also collaborate with them to test their product when the product is ready, and will be paying for usage where applicable, as related by Helen. The event wasn’t without its challenges. Communication and logistics, according to Helen, were the biggest issues, as the participants pushed for higher prizes. Through clear communication about the hackathon’s focus: community building and portfolio development, not prize money, and bringing in sponsors, ALX was able to overcome the issue.

On the possibility of hosting the event again, Helen revealed that ALX plans to make the hackathon an annual event, with the possibility of hosting another edition before this year’s end.

As for Team DeskHive, their journey is just beginning. Their hackathon victory is not just a testament to their technical prowess, but also a reminder of the power of teamwork, vision, and mentorship in building Nigeria’s next generation of tech solutions.