Beltone Holding has concluded its inaugural AI Hackathon in partnership with the Mathematics, Actuarial, and Data Science Association (MADS) at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Invest-Gate reports.

The event garnered participation from over 400 students from AUC and the German University in Cairo (GUC), resulting in more than 450 submissions from 30 teams.

The 1st AI Hackathon by Beltone tasked students with crafting AI solutions to predict gold price fluctuations, effectively bridging academic concepts with real-world applications. Finalists competed for financial prizes and presented their projects to a distinguished panel of judges.

This panel featured Dr. Ali Hadi, Distinguished University Professor and former Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, as well as the Founder of the Data Science Program at AUC; Dr. Sherif Aly, Chair of Computer Science at AUC; Dr. Ayman Ismail, the Abdul Latif Jameel Chair of Entrepreneurship at AUC; Ali Mokhtar, CEO of Beltone Venture Capital; and Basma Rady, Chief Data Scientist at Beltone Holding.

Basma Rady, Chief Data Scientist at Beltone Holding, remarked, “The Beltone AI Hackathon underscores the practical value of AI in addressing industry challenges. Witnessing young innovators tackle complex problems is truly inspiring. Initiatives like these are pivotal in bridging academia with industry, equipping students with the skills essential to thrive as future data scientists.”

Dr. Roba Bairakdar, Assistant Professor at AUC’s Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, highlighted, “This collaboration with Beltone extends learning beyond traditional classroom settings, enabling students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Through the Beltone AI Hackathon, students were empowered to lead projects from inception to completion, gaining valuable hands-on experience in data science. Such experiences are invaluable, preparing them not only to meet future data science demands but also to actively shape its trajectory.”

Dalia Khorshid, Group CEO of Beltone Holding, added, “Beltone’s AI Hackathon exemplifies our dedication to integrating data science and technology to revolutionize the financial services sector. Our partnership with AUC underscores our commitment to nurturing the next wave of data scientists who will drive the evolution of Data Science and AI toward tangible, business-focused outcomes.”