29 Jan 2025

Coeo x Microsoft AI Hackathon

29th January, 9:30 AM
Microsoft Campus, Thames Valley Park, Reading

Ready to Join? Submit your project idea by Monday, January 13, 2025, to secure your spot.

Join the Coeo x Microsoft AI Hackathon to transform your AI ideas into working solutions. During this two-day event, you’ll collaborate with technical specialists from Microsoft and Coeo, using Azure’s AI tools to build your project. By the end of the hackathon, you’ll have three valuable deliverables: a well-defined AI use case, a functional prototype built on Azure AI, and a clear roadmap for implementing the solution in your business. Whether you’re looking to test a concept, solve a complex technical problem, or discover how AI can streamline your business operations, this hands-on experience will help you bring your vision to life.

What You’ll Work On

With support from our technical experts, you could:

  • Automate complicated or manual processes to improve efficiency.
  • Build AI-powered knowledge management systems to support improved decision-making.
  • Develop conversational AI platforms for better customer engagement.
  • Design multi-model solutions that process text, images, and audio together.

Don’t worry if you’re still brainstorming ideas—our team can help you define and scope your project in the run-up to the event. You can also use anonymised data or your own to test concepts and validate solutions.

Why Azure AI Foundry?

Azure AI Foundry provides access to tools, frameworks, and resources that enable you to quickly build, test, and scale your solutions. With over 1,600 models in the Azure model catalogue, AI Search and Document Intelligence to build (RAG) retrieval augmented generation pipelines, and frameworks like Semantic Kernel, Autogen, Langchain, you’ll have everything you need to get started.

Why Join?

  • Use the hackathon to solve specific problems, validate concepts, and reduce technical risks before committing to a full investment.
  • Gain hands-on support from Microsoft and Coeo specialists, who will guide you through technical challenges and speed up development.
  • Connect with other teams exploring AI, exchange ideas, and gain fresh perspectives to drive your innovation.

Event Details

The AI Hackathon is free of charge. We’ll provide:

  • Technical specialists from Microsoft and Coeo to assist throughout the event.
  • Dedicated workspaces to keep your team focused.
  • Breakfast, lunch, and snacks on both days.

You just need to cover your time and expenses. Each team should include 2–5 members with a mix of technical and business expertise:

  • Developers to bring ideas to life.
  • Business leaders who understand the challenges to address.
  • Project managers to keep everything on track.

Submit your project idea by Monday, January 13, 2025, to secure your spot. If you’re still unsure, we’re happy to arrange a call with one of our technical specialists to discuss how this event can benefit your team.

Explore Multi-Model AI in Our Latest Webinar

Curious about the potential of multi-model AI and how it can transform your business? Check out our latest AI webinar, where we dive into building advanced AI systems that process text, images, and audio for smarter and more comprehensive solutions.

This webinar provides insights into how Azure AI empowers businesses to innovate with tools like GPT-4, DALL-E, and more. It’s the perfect starting point to inspire ideas for the hackathon or explore multi-model AI opportunities in your own organisation.

Watch here

Nihal Mushtaq Amin
Head of AI
Biography

Nihal leads AI and Machine Learning projects at Coeo. He worked at Microsoft with Azure AI and OpenAI, helping teams design and build practical AI solutions. He'll help you take your project from idea to working code.

Matt Hill
Head of Technical Strategy
Biography

Matt Hill leads Technical Strategy at Coeo, focusing on innovative cloud solutions and enterprise architecture. With a wealth of experience in Microsoft technologies, he helps teams bring their ideas to life. Matt will be available to support you in turning your concepts into practical applications.

Schedule:

Day 1: January 29 - 9:30-17:00
Please arrive by 9:30am to have time to register before the event officially kicks off at 10. We will aim to be finished by 5pm.
9:30 - Event Registration & Breakfast
Start the event with registration, where you can collect your badges and materials. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast while networking with other attendees.
10:00 - Event open
Welcome address by Robin Lester, Microsoft Senior Cloud Solution Architect. Overview of agenda and what to expect over the next two days. Introduction of the Microsoft and Coeo experts who will be available for guidance.
10:30 - Project Set up & Planning
Time for you to outline your project objectives, define roles and discuss strategies for success. This is the time to refine your AI use case and make sure your team is aligned on goals and approach.
11:30 - Development time with expert support at hand
Begin the hands-on development phase. Work on building your projects with regular check-ins with our technical experts on hand to help you resolve challenges.
Day 2: January 30 - 9:30-16:00
Please arrive by 9:30am to get straight back into your development time. We will aim to be finished by 4pm.
9:30 - Development time
Continue refining your prototypes. Focus on implementing any feedback from Day one.
13:00 - Complete your prototype
Wrap up your development phase, finalise your projects and prepare for presentations. Our experts will be available for last-minute trouble shooting.
15:00 - Present your Results
Each team will present their project, showcasing their AI solutions and the problems they aimed to solve. Presentations should highlight the development process, key features and potential business impacts.
16:00 - Event wrap up
Nihal Mushtaq Amin will conclude the event with a summary of the next steps, follow-up resources and opportunities for continued collaboration.
Ready to Join?
Get your team together (2-5 people), write up your project idea and submit your application by Monday 13th January

Ready to Join? Submit your project idea by Monday, January 13, 2025, to secure your spot.

Contact us

Get in touch

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Still Have Questions? Contact gemma.higgs@coeo.com for more information.

    What kind of projects should we bring?
    Bring a real business problem you want to solve using AI. This could be automating a process, adding AI features to existing software, or creating a new AI powered solution.
    Do we need a fully formed idea?
    You need a clear problem to solve, we can help you refine your approach during the event.
    Can we work on an existing project?
    Yes, many teams use the hackathon to add features or try new approaches to existing projects.
    Can we use co-pilot studio?
    Our technical experts specialise in the Azure AI services like Azure OpenAI, Document Intelligence, AI Search which are a bit more hands on and require some development expertise and experience with Azure, so having team members with those skills would be ideal. However, the underlying principles of AI across the Microsoft stack are very similar so we can still provide technical guidance and recommend best practises if you were using the co-pilot studio. The objective of the hackathon is to further develop and validate an AI use case for your business. There are multiple ways to achieve this, and team members without deep developer skills can still actively contribute and benefit from the event. We would be happy to get someone from the team to jump on a call to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you may have to ensure you are best prepared for the day.
    What should we bring?
    Bring laptops set up for development. We'll send detailed technical requirements after registration.
    Which technologies will we use?
    We'll focus on Microsoft's AI and cloud services including: • Azure AI Foundry • Azure AI Bot Service • Azure AI Search • Azure Machine Learning • Azure AI Services (REST APIs) o Content Safety o Custom Vision o Document Intelligence o Face o Immersive Reader o Language o Speech o Translator o Video Indexer o Vision • Azure OpenAI Service • Health Bot • Co-Pilot Languages • Java • C# • Python • R • C++ • JavaScript • Scala • Go
    Do we need cloud access or subscriptions?
    Yes, you will need the access necessary to complete your project. If you need support with what subscriptions you need or how to access them please contact gemma.higgs@coeo.com

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