Empowering Women Innovators: Highlights from the gr.ai.ce Women AI Hackathon

As a testament to the talent of women in AI and tech, DevRev organized the gr.ai.ce Women AI Hackathon at the NMAM Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Karkala in the southern Indian state of Karnataka between November 18, 2024 and December 2, 2024. The 10-day-long event, which was hosted by NMAMIT on its campus, saw over 500 registrations and 26 outstanding submissions from the participants, who were students from Mangalore Institute of Technology and Alva’s College.

Setting the Stage: The Hac kathon Vision

The gr.ai.ce Women AI Hackathon was more than just a competition—it was a platform to inspire, challenge, and equip women technologists to address real-world challenges using DevRev’s powerful AI and automation capabilities. Participants were tasked with building snap-ins aligned with five problem statements, ranging from sprint summarization to customer sentiment analysis. The hackathon aimed to foster innovation while driving the adoption of impactful AI solutions.

The Journey: Collaboration and Learning

Kicking off on November 18, 2024, the hackathon began with a series of engaging sessions from our folks at DevRev:

Introduction to gr.ai.ce: Saniha Rai, Harshita Raman, and Akshaya Seshadri presented the ethos behind gr.ai.ce, highlighting its commitment to empowering women leaders in tech.

Hackathon Overview: Ruchit Kaplesh detailed the rules, judging criteria, and prizes, setting the tone for a competitive yet collaborative environment.

DevRev Platform Walkthrough: Nishmitha Bhandary and Sammitha Poojary guided participants through the technical nuances of the DevRev platform.

Snap-In Development Workshop: Navneel Mandal and Altaf Ahmed shared best practices for creating robust and scalable snap-ins.

Participants embraced this learning opportunity with enthusiasm, demonstrating incredible dedication over the 10-day period.

Unveiling the Winning Projects

The hackathon concluded on December 2, 2024, with the announcement of winners on December 13. These teams exemplified creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of real-world applications:

First Prize: Bhavya Nayak, Chaithra S Nayak, and Rashmi N from NMAM Institute of Technology. Their project, The DevRev Opportunity Summarizer, stood out for its ability to streamline opportunity management. By leveraging GPT-powered LLMs and Slack integration, their tool automates summary report generation, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly and boost productivity.

Second Prize: Amulya GR from NMAM Institute of Technology. Amulya’s Sprint Summarizer redefined sprint retrospectives. This snap-in automates the generation of actionable sprint summaries, delivering them directly to Slack channels and saving hours of manual effort for agile teams.

Third Prize: Deetya Salian and Shravya from NMAM Institute of Technology. Their project, Customer Frustration Detection Snap-In for DevRev, introduced a novel way to enhance customer support. Using real-time sentiment analysis, the tool identifies frustration in conversations and triggers timely alerts for support teams, setting new standards in proactive customer service.

A Platform for Future Innovators

The hackathon wasn’t just about competition—it was about creating a community of future innovators. Through workshops, mentorship, and teamwork, participants gained hands-on experience in AI, learned to integrate DevRev APIs effectively, and showcased their creativity in solving real-world problems.

Winners earned not only monetary prizes (INR 60,000 for first place, INR 30,000 for second, and INR 15,000 for third) but also the invaluable opportunity to interview for internships at DevRev. They also received free passes to attend DevRev Effortless Mumbai 2025, offering them a valuable opportunity to further enhance their knowledge of cutting-edge AI.

Acknowledgements

The success of the gr.ai.ce Women AI Hackathon was made possible through the contributions of several key individuals. A special thanks to Bharat G, Placement Officer at NMAMIT, for facilitating the event, as well as Onkar Dessai, Member of People Ops at DevRev, and Sathish Kumar HS, Member of Technical Staff at DevRev, for their invaluable support in streamlining the hackathon.

Looking Ahead

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a resounding success. Your efforts have sparked a new wave of innovation and empowered women technologists to lead with confidence.

As the curtains close on this incredible event, we look forward to seeing these brilliant minds continue to shape the future of AI and technology. To all participants: your journey has just begun, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!

Stay tuned for more updates from gr.ai.ce, where we continue to champion women in tech and foster innovation across the globe.