More than 120 app developers take part in FinAppsParty, a CaixaBank and Global Payments initiative to create financial services of the future

• This the fourth consecutive year that the bank has organised the 24-hour financial app "hackathon".

• The challenge in the 2014 competition was to create new financial services for wearable devices.

More than 120 app developers competed in the financial app programming marathon organised by CaixaBank, in partnership with the US firm Global Payments and the Barcelona Digital Centro Tecnológico.

For the first time in its history FinAppsParty was simultaneously held in two different cities: Barcelona and Atlanta (United States). Over a non-stop 24-hour programming marathon the teams were required to design and create new financial services for use with wearable technology (glasses, watches, wristbands or any other devices that the participants wanted to suggest), the theme of this year's FinAppsParty. The organization offered each team the LG G smartwatch, provided by LG, to assist as they develop their applications, although participants could create apps for the wearable device of their choice.

A panel of judges comprised of digital banking and financial service experts at CaixaBank, Global Payments and Barcelona Digital Centro Tecnológico will select the best apps submitted in each city. The winners at Barcelona will be announced on 11 November.

CaixaBank has run the FinAppsParty mobile app programming marathon since 2011. The bank was one of the first anywhere in the world to adopt the hackathon format, seeking to harness collective intelligence and co-creation to drive innovation. CaixaBank has been an international pioneer in the development of financial services for wearable devices, with the launch of the world's first banking application for smartwatches as well as an application for Google Glass.

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