ELEV8 RACE — AI-Powered Marathon
Eight weeks. One prototype. A shot at Cyprus.
Teams from across the group use AI to solve a real business problem — increasing productivity, or anything that moves the needle. Build a working prototype, submit a demo, and the 8 strongest teams pitch live at the in-person finale.
Form your team
3–5 people, at least one non-technical member. Cross-company teams welcome.
Build with AI
Weekly lectures, a mentor per team, and AI tool credits to build something real.
Submit a demo
A prototype / demo video with a problem statement
Pitch in Limassol
Eight finalists fly to Cyprus to pitch live, with prizes and a gala finale.
What's in it for your team
Level up on AI, fast
Guest lectures on AI trends, rapid prototyping, prompt engineering and pitching — plus recordings if you miss one.
The road to Cyprus
Eight weeks from launch to finale. Here's the full route.
Registration closed
Team recruiting has closed across all the companies. Rosters are locked.
Roster reveal
All team names and companies published. Judges announced. The race officially begins.
Weekly lectures & mentoring
Guest sessions plus light-touch mentor check-ins with every team.
Submissions open
Upload your prototype and one-page statement. Hard deadline Sep 30.
Finalists announced
8 teams confirmed for the Limassol finale.
Pitch Day & Gala — Limassol
Live pitches, judging, awards and the gala dinner.
The ground rules
This is the short version. Read the full Official Rules — you'll be asked to accept them when you register.
FAQ
Can I join without a team?
Yes. Register as a solo participant and we'll help match you into a team of 3–5 before submissions open.
Do I need to be technical?
No. In fact every team needs at least one non-technical member. Lectures on prompt engineering and rapid prototyping will get you up to speed.
What if I miss a lecture?
Every session is recorded and posted in the Lectures section so you can catch up any time.
How are teams shortlisted?
The selection committee scores every submission blind, using team codes: business value and impact (40%), AI depth and appropriateness (30%), and scalability and adoption (30%). The top 8 travel to Cyprus.
Who's racing
35 teams are locked in and racing.
Capybara
Team 2
Domin8
AIDA
bill.ai
Rescue Rangers
marPech
slow horses
Press F
AI B2B SaaS AI-powered LLM tech start-up Pro Max
Humans in the Loop
Pariducks
Eight Nines
e.gTurboEight
AI Talent Navigator
The House Always Wins Motorsport
SVOT
Pocket Aces
Agentic Retention
Risk Payment Tech
Ctrl Alt Defeat
Claude-3PO
Next Bet
Trinity Marketing
Bald guys
&less_bedrock
UbiAI
Bets
GR8_ASSIST
TrinTeam
Team 32
Team 33
Team 34
Tessera
Next Best Action
Weekly sessions
Seven ~60-minute sessions, mixing internal experts and external guests. Missed one? Replays land here.
Vibe coding & rapid prototyping
Building working prototypes fast with AI coding tools.
From prototype to product
Scoping, feasibility, and what makes an idea fundable.
Pitching & storytelling
How to pitch an idea that lands. Direct prep for pitch day.
A mentor for every team
Each team is paired with a mentor — a senior engineer, product lead or AI-literate manager — for light-touch weekly guidance. Pairings publish here after the roster reveal.
8–12 mentors across the groupLatest from the race
Weekly one-liner on what each team is building — no rankings, just visibility.
Cyprus teaser drops every week through the mid-campaign. Watch this space.