Extentia’s X24 Hackathon: Season 8!  

Extentia, a Merkle Company, held its eighth annual 24-hour hackathon on November 15-16, 2024, with the theme "AI as a Human Companion: Building with Synthetic Data". The event challenged participants to push the boundaries of innovation and teamwork as they collaborated to create impactful solutions aligned with Extentia's mission of leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance human life.  

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What is X24?

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X24, Extentia's annual 24-hour hackathon, is a thrilling showcase of creativity and cutting-edge technology, bringing together six dynamic teams of diverse talent from across the company. Over 24 intense hours, teams work together to create innovative solutions using the latest technologies and tools. This high-energy event not only highlights their skills and ingenuity but also reaffirms Extentia's dedication to driving technological innovation. Each challenge and solution addressed real-world business needs and showcased the company's commitment to practical, innovative advancements. 

 

The X24 Teams  

 

This year’s hackathon brought together Extentians and members of the Merkle and dentsu family from various departments, showcasing a wide range of skills and perspectives. Their diverse skills and experiences fueled teamwork, helping teams overcome challenges and create innovative solutions. 

 

Mini Events

 

In the lead-up to the main event, Extentia hosted a series of mini events, including a Walkathon, Creathon, and IdeaStorm, and training sessions. These initiatives equipped teams with the tools and inspiration needed for the intense coding challenge ahead.  

Challenge Statements  

 

Each team was tasked with solving a unique challenge statement, providing a distinct opportunity to craft innovative solutions. The challenge statements were as follows:  

 

ACTIVE ALLY:  

 

In our busy lives, achieving personal goals — whether in health, fitness, or personal development — can be a daunting task. The task was to use ML and multimodal GenAI to create a platform that adapts to users' lifestyles and helps them achieve various personal goals, leveraging data from past success stories of people on the platform.  

 

ADAPTIX:  

 

The team was required to develop Adaptix, an AI-driven e-commerce platform technology that enables highly personalized and immersive shopping experiences. By seamlessly integrating multilingual support, advanced search functionalities, adaptive pricing, and virtual try-on features, Adaptix aims to enhance user engagement, boost customer satisfaction, and increase conversion rates across a diverse global audience.  

 

INSURESENSE:  

 

Here, the participants were required to clearly demonstrate impactful use of ML, GenAI, and Synthetic Data to develop an AI-powered insurance assistance platform that transforms the customer experience, automates complex processes, and optimizes internal operations.  

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MOVIEMAVEN:  

 

Movie Maven aims to deliver a seamless and engaging user experience, connecting viewers with movies they'll love exactly when they need them most. The team was required to integrate enhancements such as personalized, intelligent recommendation engine, voice-based interaction, intent detection and advanced gamification, and let Movie Maven push the boundaries, focusing on deeper personalization. 

 

NETWORK NINJA:  

 

Networking with the right people at large events and expos is often a challenging and under-optimized experience that can lead to wasted time and effort for attendees. The participants were required to create a seamless and intelligent networking experience, combining interest-based clustering, real-time conversation facilitation, AI-powered conversation summaries, and event guidance. 

 

SIGNAL SAGE:

 

In bustling urban cities, traffic violations are a common occurrence, leading to increased accidents, congestion, and a decline in overall road safety. The task was to build an AI-driven platform that evaluates these reports, ensuring only valid cases reach the authorities.  

 

SUPPLYSNAP:

 

Crunchy Bites Co., a leading biscuit manufacturer, aims to revolutionize its supply chain. The task given was to develop an integrated, AI-powered order management and supply chain solution that enhances efficiency, reduces waste, and improves customer satisfaction for Crunchy Bites Co.  

 

IMPRESS ME: 

 

This was an open challenge statement where the participants had the freedom to solve any crucial problem that might resonate with the judges, showcasing compelling use of ML, Generative AI, and Synthetic data. 

 

Gurus and Mentors  

 

The six participating teams faced the challenge of building solutions in under 24 hours with help from seasoned industry professionals, who served as their Gurus and Mentors. These experienced guides played a pivotal role in steering the teams towards creating effective and feasible solutions. Their mentorship not only accelerated the development process but also fostered an environment of learning and collaboration.  

 

With a fantastic experience at X24 Season 8, the entire team at Extentia and Merkle-dentsu is already looking forward to the next season in anticipation.  

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​About Merkle     

 

Merkle, a dentsu company, is a leading data-driven customer experience management (CXM) company that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The company's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive hyper-personalized marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in consulting, creative, media, analytics, data, identity, CX/commerce, technology, and loyalty & promotions drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With more than 14,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information, contact Merkle at 1 (443) 542-4000 or visit www.merkle.com.   

   

About Extentia, a Merkle Company 

 

A global technology and services firm that helps clients transform and realize their digital strategies. With a unique Experience Centric Transformation approach, Extentia’s ground-breaking solutions are in the space of mobile, cloud, and design. The team is differentiated by an emphasis on excellent design skills that they bring to every project. Focused on enterprise mobility, cloud computing, and user experiences, Extentia strives to accomplish and surpass their customers’ business goals. The company’s inclusive work environment and culture inspire team members to be innovative and creative, and to provide clients with an exceptional partnership experience.   

 

www.extentia.com