Otinga launches enterprise innovation platform to help businesses turn ideas into measurable outcomes

New South African venture combines AI-powered hackathons, structured innovation programmes and design thinking to support faster, more practical innovation in large organisations SOUTH AFRICA – 3 March 2026 – Otinga, a new AI-powered innovation partner for enterprise businesses, has officially launched with a clear mission: to help organisations run impactful, practical and scalable innovation programmes that deliver measurable business value. Built for large enterprises navigating constant disruption, Otinga helps organisations move beyond “innovation theatre” and into structured, outcomes-driven innovation. Through AI-powered hackathons, innovation challenges and human-centred programmes, Otinga enables businesses to unlock internal creativity, align innovation to strategy, and turn ideas into real business outcomes. “We believe innovation should not feel chaotic or disconnected from the business,” said Francois van der Merwe, Founder and CEO of Otinga. “People are naturally creative, but enterprises need structure, support and the right tools to convert ideas into outcomes. That is what we do - innovation with intention.” Van der Merwe also teaches at Henley Business School, with his latest course focusing on Strategic AI Leadership for Boards and CxOs. Founded in 2023, Otinga’s approach combines programmes, frameworks and technology to help enterprise teams innovate with clarity and control. Its offering is designed to support the full innovation spectrum – from incremental improvements and “mini-vation” to systemic and more transformative initiatives - while maintaining alignment with governance, KPIs and strategic priorities. Otinga’s Hackathon Platform is built to simplify and professionalise enterprise hackathons and innovation challenges from start to finish. It provides a structured way to run ideation at scale,  helping teams define the right challenge, capture and develop ideas, support collaboration, and move winning concepts into a clear post-event pathway with owners, next steps and practical momentum toward implementation. In short, it turns hackathons into an organised, repeatable innovation mechanism rather than a once-off event. Otinga differentiates itself by combining human creativity with structured delivery, AI-enabled innovation tools, and enterprise-ready guardrails that help organisations innovate confidently while reducing risk. As more organisations face pressure to respond faster to change, launch new products, and improve customer and operational outcomes, Otinga is positioning itself as a trusted partner that helps enterprises build innovation as a repeatable capability. ABOUT OTINGAOtinga is the AI-powered innovation partner that helps enterprises ignite and scale impactful hackathons and innovation programmes aligned to real business goals. Otinga combines human-centred programmes, practical frameworks and AI-enabled tools to help organisations turn ideas into measurable outcomes. For more information please visit www.otinga.io