Beltone Holding Concludes its First AI Hackathon in Partnership with the Mathematics, Actuarial and Data Science Association at AUC

Beltone Holding has successfully concluded its first AI Hackathon, in collaboration with the Mathematics, Actuarial, and Data Science Association (MADS) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). The event attracted over 400 students from AUC and the German University in Cairo (GUC), generating more than 450 submissions from 30 teams.

Beltone's 1st AI Hackathon challenged students to develop AI solutions for predicting gold price fluctuations, linking academic theory with real-world applications. Finalists competed for monetary awards and presented their work to a distinguished jury panel. The panel included Dr. Ali Hadi, Distinguished University Professor and former Chair, Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, 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.

Real-world value of AI

Basma Rady, Chief Data Scientist at Beltone Holding, commented: “The Beltone AI Hackathon showcases the real-world value of AI and its ability to tackle industry challenges. It’s inspiring to see young innovators solving complex problems, we believe that such initiatives are crucial for connecting academia with industry and equipping students with the skills needed to become future data scientists.”

Dr. Roba Bairakdar, Assistant Professor at AUC’s Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, said, “This partnership with Beltone takes learning beyond traditional classrooms, allowing our students to apply their knowledge in practical situations. Through the Beltone AI Hackathon, students were empowered to lead projects from start to finish, gaining hands-on experience in data science. These experiences are crucial, preparing them not just to meet the future demands of data science but to actively shape its future."

Dalia Khorshid, Group CEO of Beltone Holding, added: “Beltone’s AI Hackathon is a testament of our commitment to integrate data science and technology to transform the financial services industry. Our collaboration with AUC underscores our belief in building the next generation of data scientists who will shape the future of Data Science and AI for practical, business-driven outcomes.”

Building on this success, Beltone plans to expand the hackathon in future editions, offering more students the chance to bridge academic theory with practical, market-relevant skills.