Javaabu Co-Founders Join Gen AI Hack 2026 as Judge and Mentor
Javaabu Co-Founders Arushad Ahmed and Mohamed Jailam played key roles at Gen AI Hack 2026, contributing as a Judge and Mentor respectively. The event marked a major milestone for the local tech ecosystem as the first generative AI–focused hackathon ever held in the Maldives, bringing together emerging technologists, designers, and entrepreneurs to build innovative AI-powered solutions addressing real-world challenges.
Gen AI Hack 2026 was organised by SparkHub in partnership with Dhiraagu and co-partnered with Synetecs. The 48-hour hackathon was held from 6–8 February 2026 at Udu Villa Hall, located within the Dharumanvantha Hospital building, and featured 12 competing teams.
Throughout the hackathon, participants took part in structured sessions covering Product Thinking and Design, Development and Deployment, as well as Growth and Marketing. These sessions were facilitated by a mix of local and international tech personalities, providing teams with practical guidance and industry insights.
Mohamed Jailam, Co-Founder and CEO of Javaabu, mentored multiple teams during the event, offering strategic direction on product-market fit, usability, and sustainable growth. His mentorship focused on helping teams refine their ideas into viable, real-world products within the limited hackathon timeframe.
Judging at Gen AI Hack 2026
Arushad Ahmed, Co-Founder and CTO of Javaabu, served as one of the four judges at the hackathon. He evaluated teams on innovation, technical execution, effective use of generative AI, and overall product impact, drawing on his background in AI research and software engineering.
The hackathon showcased a wide range of innovative, Gen AI–enabled products, highlighting the growing maturity and ambition of the Maldivian tech ecosystem. Teams demonstrated how generative AI can be applied to improve productivity, decision-making, and digital transformation across multiple sectors.
Winners and Highlights
-
BidHub – Winner: An online platform that helps users find tenders and generate bid proposals using AI.
-
Unbiased – Runner-up: An online platform that generates feasibility reports using publicly available data.
Javaabu extends its sincere thanks to SparkHub, Dhiraagu, and Synetecs for organising Gen AI Hack 2026 and for providing the opportunity to contribute to this landmark event. Javaabu congratulates all participating teams for their creativity and dedication, and looks forward to continuing its support for community-driven innovation and AI capacity building in the Maldives.
Read More
