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Rice to offer Bachelor of Science in artificial intelligence

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HOUSTON, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a core enabling technology for nearly every discipline, from engineering to health care to finance. To prepare the next generation of innovators and thought leaders in AI, Rice University will offer a Bachelor of Science in AI beginning in the fall of 2025.

“Our responsibility is to help set the standard for how AI is developed, applied and governed in the years ahead.”

“This program exemplifies how Rice is translating its strategic vision into action, as well as our commitment to lead in areas of national and global importance,” said President Reginald DesRoches. “Our responsibility is to help set the standard for how AI is developed, applied and governed in the years ahead.”

The new major reflects Rice’s university-wide commitment to shaping the future of computing through responsible and interdisciplinary approaches to AI. As part of its strategic plan, Rice has identified responsible AI as a catalyst for discovery and impact across fields — a priority also central to the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, which leads many of Rice’s efforts advancing computing for societal good.

“We are in a moment of rapid transformation driven by AI, and Rice is committed to preparing students not just to participate in that future but to shape it responsibly,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This new major builds on our strengths in computing and education and is a vital part of our broader vision to lead in ethical AI and deliver real-world solutions across health, sustainability and resilient communities.”

Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering and Computing, said the new major will prepare students to shape the future of AI — not just as skilled practitioners but as thoughtful and strategic leaders.

“At Rice, we challenge students to not only master the technical expertise but to think critically about how to use new technologies to advance the greater good,” Nakhleh said. “We seek to empower students to think independently and creatively. This major is designed to give students the tools to understand AI deeply and the space to explore how it can be applied in unexpected, meaningful ways.”

The major, which will be housed in the Department of Computer Science, provides undergraduates a cohesive program that covers an array of approaches to AI “so that they are prepared for the breadth of what’s going on in AI,” said John Greiner, an assistant teaching professor of computer science who has been named director of the new program.

“We see AI being discussed a lot in the media, in public policy. AI has been made a national priority for not just the United States but around the world,” said Vicente Ordóñez-Román, associate professor of computer science who was instrumental in the new major’s development and approval. “There have been a lot of developments in the past 10 or so years that have put AI in the mainstream,” and Rice is offering the major so students are “more directly prepared for careers in artificial intelligence,” he said.

“Students who take the major will be at the vanguard of one of the most significant intellectual developments of the past 50 years,” said Chris Jermaine, chair of computer science.

One cohesive program — no graduate degree required

Currently, Rice computer science students need to take several AI-related elective courses or even pursue an advanced degree to immerse themselves in AI, Ordóñez-Román said. And, Greiner added, these electives wouldn’t necessarily provide a broad background in the field.

“We thought that something could be done at the undergraduate level” to give students more options, Ordóñez-Román said.

“With the major, we’re really setting out a curriculum that makes sense as a whole,” Greiner said. “We are not simply taking a collection of courses that have been created already and putting a new wrapper around them. We’re actually creating a brand new curriculum. Most of the required courses are brand new courses designed for this major.”

Like computer science but different

Because many of the necessary skills and prerequisite courses for a degree in computer science overlapped with those for an AI major, it made sense to house the new program in the computer science department.

“In computer science, there are three big areas: artificial intelligence, systems development and algorithms and theory. I think they’re all covered” in both the computer science major and AI major, Ordóñez-Román said. “Artificial intelligence will be more at the core of the AI major than systems or algorithms, but they all will be present in both majors.”

The AI major “starts out with similar math requirements and some of the same programming courses,” Greiner said, “but at the sophomore level starts becoming an entirely different set of classes that are much more specialized to AI and have a stronger mathematical background.”

Beyond its specialized focus, the AI major will also incorporate disciplines outside of engineering.

“Artificial intelligence relies on the notion of ‘intelligence,'” Ordóñez-Román said, so a course on cognitive psychology will be included in the AI core curriculum. “That is a foundational course that touches on what intelligence is from a more human perspective, and it also opens up the avenue for students in the major to take other, more advanced courses on cognitive psychology.”

“In addition, we are including an ethics course from philosophy that’s being developed specifically for the AI major,” Greiner said. These courses could make the major appealing to non-engineering students.

“People who might be taking either cognitive psychology or neuroengineering, neuro-based majors, some of those might move over” to AI, Greiner said. “I think there’s going to be broad interest, but at the same time, the skills being taught are still very engineering oriented. There’s still a lot of math, a lot of programming. The expectations are going to be similar to other engineering majors.”

Playing to Rice’s strengths

Few universities offer AI as a standalone undergraduate major.

“It’s not a very common program you will find yet,” Ordóñez-Román said.

The combination of faculty expertise in AI and an unflagging commitment to undergraduate education make Rice a good fit for this new major. Students will also benefit from being part of Rice’s growing AI ecosystem, including resources and opportunities offered through the Ken Kennedy Institute.

“We have been building expertise in artificial intelligence,” said Ordóñez-Román, whose own research focuses on the AI-intensive fields of computer vision, natural language processing and machine learning. “There are people working here on natural language processing, information retrieval systems for machine learning, more theoretical machine learning, quantum machine learning. We have a lot of expertise in these areas, and I think we’re trying to leverage that strength we’re building.”

Rice also has “a tradition of doing things our own way and creating new courses and new ways of educating students,” Greiner said. “Rice has always been very strong in undergraduate education, and part of that is that we have always been unafraid to create distinctive courses.”

Greiner predicts students will be drawn to the new major. “AI is in the news. It’s a very popular area, and for our students who are interested in that area, this gives them a coherent program that will support their goals.”

About Rice University
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering and computing, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Internationally, the university maintains the Rice Global Paris Center, a hub for innovative collaboration, research and inspired teaching located in the heart of Paris, and Rice Global India in Bengaluru. With 4,776 undergraduates and 4,104 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 7 for best-run colleges by the Princeton Review.

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CCTV+: From the Sea, Toward the Future

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November 12, 2026

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— Yancheng Radio and Television Releases the Six‑Episode Micro‑documentary Homeland on the Tidal Flats

YANCHENG, China, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ten thousand years ago, this land was nothing but sea. Today, 520,000 hectares of wetlands have risen from the tides, providing shelter for more than 4,700 species of life, where 467 kinds of birds arrive as promised. This land born out of the ocean holds an entire vibrant world.

Along China’s eastern coast stretches a 582‑kilometer coastline. Yancheng, home to 6.7 million people, lies next to one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, yet it has reserved vast “undeveloped” spaces for nature. Nearly one‑third of the world’s spoon‑billed sandpipers stop here to refuel; the world’s largest wild elk population thrives here; and four out of every ten offshore wind turbines worldwide are manufactured right here. At China’s first coastal World Natural Heritage Site — Yancheng — protection does not mean sealing nature off, nor does development mean pushing the wetlands aside. Instead, the city chooses to live in harmony with nature and grow along its rhythms: leaving ample room for nature amid development, and building better lives while safeguarding the ecosystem.

The six‑episode eco‑humanistic micro‑documentary Homeland on the Tidal Flats uses the camera as a pen to write a love letter between the sea and the land. Episode One, The Tidal Forest, reveals the intricate, hidden web of life in the intertidal zones. Episode Two, Return to the Wild, chronicles the rebirth of the elk population from just 39 to over 8,800. Episode Three, Beneath the Wings, records the visits of spoon‑billed sandpipers and red‑crowned cranes. Episode Four, New Life on Salty Soil, shows how rice waves and green granaries emerge from saline‑alkali soil. Episode Five, Light on the Wind, explores the pulse of offshore wind power and the zero‑carbon city. Episode Six, Wetland Life, captures the everyday rhythm of a city breathing in tune with its wetlands.

Prioritizing ecology and pursuing green development is the answer this beautiful city of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature has written for Chinese‑style modernization.

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Over 100 Delegates and 16 Startups: Taiwan Sends Largest-Ever Fintech Delegation to SFF 2026 as FinTechSpace Debuts “Taiwan Fintech Fleet” Collaboration Model

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TAIPEI, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FinTechSpace, Taiwan’s premier one-stop fintech innovation acceleration hub – guided by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and founded by the Taiwan Financial Services Roundtable (TFSR) — is making its eighth consecutive appearance at the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF). This year, FinTechSpace has mobilized innovation energy from both northern and southern Taiwan to curate the island’s largest-ever delegation, bringing over 100 fintech leaders, representatives, and 16 selected startups at the Taiwan Pavilion (Booth #5B33, Hall 5).

The Taiwan Pavilion showcases 16 international pitch sessions anchored around three core pillars: Resilience Forward: Operational Defense & Compliance; New Asset Horizons: Digital & Sustainable Finance; and Ignite Growth: Enterprise & Integrated Solutions. Crucially, FinTechSpace is debuting its groundbreaking “Theme-Based Fleet Pilot Program,” an initiative designed to integrate multi-team technologies and services to capitalize on complementary strengths, demonstrating the versatility, depth, and international competitiveness of Taiwan’s fintech ecosystem. The delegation will also host two high-level international networking events to deepen cross-border collaboration and unlock commercial opportunities.

Maiden Flagship Initiative: “Trustworthy FinTech” Fleet Hits the Global Stage

The newly launched “Taiwan Fintech Fleet” serves as a collaborative mechanism that connects the specialized capabilities of different startups into cohesive, scenario-based enterprise solutions. By replacing standalone tools with integrated offerings, the fleet model enables international financial institutions and enterprise clients to seamlessly adopt multi-faceted services that directly address operational pain points.

The inaugural rollout focuses on “Trust in FinTech,” bringing together six FinTechSpace portfolio companies – IHH, TOPPAN Security, KDAN, AIFT, FANO, and wiAdvance – to form two strategic theme fleets: “Digital Trust Chain” and “Trustworthy AI Guardrails”. The initiative propels startups to transition from “single-point services” to “full-scenario application” solutions, while taking a “fleet goes global” model to lead teams in jointly expanding into international markets and demonstrating the integration and collaborative strength driving Taiwan’s fintech industry.

Two Signature Events: Canada Meets Taiwan Forum and Taiwan–Korea Happy Hour Deepen Global Ties

During SFF, the Taiwan Pavilion will host “Canada Meets Taiwan: AI, Fintech, and New Opportunities for Financial Innovation” on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 2:30 to 3:15 PM (Singapore time). The session brings together government, industry, and academic representatives from Taiwan and Canada to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping fintech innovation, and to exchange insights on ecosystem development and collaboration opportunities, further strengthening bilateral fintech ties.

The Taiwan Pavilion is also teaming up with the Korea Pavilion to host a “Happy Hour” networking mixer, featuring Taiwanese and Korean snacks in a relaxed, social setting. The event is designed to spark connections between fintech startups, financial institutions, and industry partners from both countries, opening the door to future technical collaboration and market expansion.

An Open Invitation: Join Taiwan in Building the Next Wave of FinTech Opportunity

FinTechSpace warmly invites financial institutions, investors, and industry partners from around the world to visit the Taiwan Pavilion (Booth #5B33, Hall 5) during SFF, November 18–20, 2026, to engage with participating teams and explore opportunities for technical collaboration, business partnerships, and investment.

About FinTechSpace

Established in 2018, FinTechSpace is Taiwan’s first one-stop fintech innovation acceleration hub. Guided by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and initiated by the Taiwan Financial Services Roundtable (TFSR), the program is operated by the Institute for Information Industry (III). FinTechSpace is dedicated to creating a co-creation ecosystem that fosters FinTech development by integrating physical space, mentorship, and technical resources. It aims to drive FinTech innovation in Taiwan and promote international collaboration. For more information, please visit: www.fintechspace.com.tw.

2026 Taiwan Pavilion Exhibitor List

FinTechSpace (Taipei)

Resilience Forward: Operational Defense & Compliance

CoCoTree
Technology

CoCoTree Technology provides a nature-risk and TNFD-aligned decision platform that helps financial institutions and enterprises assess the nature sensitivity, biodiversity exposure,
and environmental risk of their operating sites and supply chains. The platform turns these insights into risk scores, monitoring alerts, and compliance summaries, supporting credit
underwriting, post-loan monitoring, supply chain engagement, and ESG/TNFD disclosure.

HiTRUST

HiTRUST is a fintech company specializing in digital security, identity verification, and fraud prevention that help financial institutions strengthen transaction security while improving
the user experience. Headquartered in Taiwan with seven offices worldwide, HiTRUST serves more than 10,000 institutions globally. In 2025, the company received a government
grant for Digital Service Innovation and won gold at the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Smart Innovation Award.

IHH Co., Ltd.

IHH is dedicated to building “secure, anti-counterfeiting, and highly flexible commercial video solutions.”  Providing enterprises with a “secure and trusted mechanism to seamlessly
leverage integrated AI capabilities before, during, and after video conferencing to conduct business, yielding highly non-repudiable results.”

IHH ensures every interaction is secure and trustworthy and generates highly non-repudiable digital evidence. Its solutions have been successfully deployed by several major,
market-leading enterprises.

TOPPAN
Security Co.,
Ltd.

TOPPAN Security focuses on advanced digital identity and authentication solutions, offering a one-stop solution spanning eKYC facial recognition, SoftToken, multi-factor authentication
(MFA), and device rebinding to help financial institutions strengthen the security of their digital services. Founded in 2013, the company joined the TOPPAN Group in 2020 and has been
expanding into global markets under the TOPPAN Security brand since 2025.

Woodpecker
Technology
Inc.

Woodpecker Technology specializes in enterprise security monitoring, threat detection, and incident response. Its flagship platform, Woodpecker XVR, delivers a unified SOC view
by integrating data from endpoints, networks, security logs, and user activities. Combined with an on-premises AI security assistant, the platform accelerates incident investigation,
improves alert prioritization, and enables more effective response while ensuring that sensitive data remains fully under the customer’s control. Woodpecker serves financial institutions,
government agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and high-tech manufacturers through partnerships with MDR providers, MSSPs, and system integrators.

Ignite Growth: Enterprise & Integrated Solutions

HOYA BIT
Digital
Technology

HOYA BIT Digital Asset Exchange has secured business compliance approvals from the Taiwan FSC as an exchanger, trading platform, transferor, and custodian, while co-creating
a 24/7 fiat exchange withdrawal service with Taishin Bank and becoming the world’s first ISO 14068-1 carbon-neutral exchange. In partnership with Taishin Bank, it offers round-the-
clock fiat withdrawal services and is the world’s first ISO 14068-1 carbon-neutral certified exchange. Powered by Agentic AI trading technology, HOYA BIT offers virtual asset and
multi-strategy investment services, and its AI Native Exchange OS helps financial institutions and enterprises integrate virtual assets and stablecoin payments and settlement.

Light
Momentum
Technology

Founded in 2021, Light Momentum Technology (LMT) combines expertise in IC design, ICT, and finance to develop fintech, AIoT, and custom ASIC/SoC chip applications, delivering
financial AI and high-frequency trading solutions. LMT was named to EE Times’ Silicon 100 in both 2022 and 2023, established a subsidiary in the Czech Republic in 2024, and has
exhibited at the Singapore FinTech Festival for four consecutive years as it continues to expand into overseas markets and technical partnerships.

On-us Co.,
Ltd.

On-us combines AI with years of accumulated consumer-engagement data through its Smart E-Voucher and On-us Intelligence platforms, turning behavioral signals from how consumers
claim, engage with, and redeem offers into actionable business insights. This helps enterprises optimize membership management, customer acquisition, loyalty programs, and marketing
performance, driving greater customer engagement value and revenue growth.

ThinkCloud
Technology

ThinkCloud Technology specializes in digital identity verification and e-signature solutions. Its flagship innovation, SelfieSign, utilizes patented SVS (Signing Video Stream) technology to
capture real-time video and audio recording during the signing process, timestamps, and verification data in compliance with the EU’s XAdES electronic document standard. ThinkCloud
also offers eStamp digital seals and FaceOTP AI liveness detection. The platform processes more than 3 million signatures a month and holds a 90% share of Taiwan’s medical e-signature
market.

TradingValley
Co., Ltd.

One of Taiwan’s earliest robo-advisory fintech, TradingValley helps financial institutions build digital wealth-management services and, after obtaining a U.S. investment advisor license,
launched its own B2C business. In 2025, the company introduced WinwinGPT, a personalized AI investment assistant that has been a finalist in multiple international fintech competitions
and has been successfully deployed at a major domestic financial holding company to boost the productivity of relationship managers and investment research teams.

Vulcan

Vulcan is an international AI security brand focused on generative and agentic AI security, providing AI red-teaming and real-time runtime protection to help enterprises identify risks
such as prompt injection and data leakage. Vulcan has expanded across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and the Middle East, serving 10+ major domestic and international
commercial banks and financial holding companies, Global high-tech manufacturers, and government agencies. Its solutions are recognized in the OWASP Agentic AI Security Landscape
and hold Panel Tester status with Singapore’s AI Verify Foundation, helping financial, insurance, manufacturing, and government organizations build trustworthy, governable, compliance-
ready AI environments.

FINNOVATION HUB (Kaohsiung)

New Asset Horizons: Digital & Sustainable Finance

AI PASS LINE

Founded in 2024, AI Pass Line focuses on AI, avatars, voice tech, and AR/MR/XR applications. Built on an “AI × MR” core, the company delivers comprehensive smart solutions spanning
healthcare, education, customer service, AI agents, and digital-twin training. Leveraging AI knowledge management, its enterprise AI Agent platform, and Azure cloud technology, AI Pass
Line helps clients integrate systems and data to boost operational efficiency. With proven experience across medical, financial, retail, and education sectors, it delivers efficient, secure,
and human-centric intelligent services.

CyCatena
Technology

CyCatena Technology provides secure digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions and enterprises. Its core product, CyCatena Vault, enables secure and self-controlled management
of digital assets and stablecoins. With HSM-based key protection, multi-level approval, access control, transaction risk monitoring, and comprehensive audit trails, CyCatena Vault meets
institutional security and compliance requirements. Supporting both on-premises and private cloud deployment, it allows institutions to retain control of their private keys, transaction data,
and infrastructure while integrating seamlessly with existing banking and enterprise systems.

Eureka
FinTech TW
Limited

Eureka aims to be a pioneer in providing innovative market & credit analysis, KYC and ESG solutions to manufacturers and financial institutions across Asia via its comprehensive AI
services platform and bespoke consulting services. Eureka’s comprehensive platform integrates into one single platform big data, vendor databases and customers’ internal data by
utilizing AI and graph technologies. Eureka’s AI services platform provides users with information including market analysis, industry analysis, meeting minutes, credit report, ESG report
and compliance & sanction report systems to assist them in analyzing supply chains, green energy and business relationships.

Root
Intelligent
Tech

Root Intelligent Tech is dedicated to making professional financial planning more accessible through AI. Its services include intelligent financial health assessments, wealth succession and
estate and gift tax planning, AI-powered advisory tools for financial professionals, and green consumption applications. By combining data visualization, scenario simulation, and professional

knowledge retrieval, Root Intelligent Tech helps financial institutions, advisors, and individuals identify financial risks, evaluate planning options, and make informed decisions. 

Synstream
Pte Limited

Shinchuan Technology offers an enterprise-grade AI data orchestration platform for financial institutions, enabling rapid AI adoption without replacing existing core systems. The platform
integrates data orchestration, AI vision computing, on-premises small language models (SLMs), and multimodal RAG technology to support KYC/AML compliance monitoring, automated
regulatory reporting, wealth management, and enterprise AI agents, all backed by bank-grade governance, access control, and auditability to improve operational efficiency and data security.

Synstream is an enterprise AI data orchestration platform designed for financial institutions, enabling rapid AI adoption without replacing legacy systems. Powered by three core engines –
Data Orchestration, Visual Intelligence, and Enterprise On-Prem SLM & RAG – Synstream delivers specialized FinTech modules including KYC/AML automation, regulatory reporting,
and wealth management modernization. Featuring banking-grade data governance, full auditability, and hybrid/on-prem deployment, Synstream reduces false positives by ~85% and cuts
case resolution times by ~90%.

 

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IBM Announces Winner of Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon 2026

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LivXP has been selected from a global field of innovators advancing the future of sports through AI.

LISBON, Portugal, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced LivXP as the winner of the IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon, recognizing the company for its innovative use of agentic AI to transform how fans engage with their favorite teams, organizations, and leagues.

The challenge marks the culmination of the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge, a year-long global initiative created to identify and evaluate growth-stage startups building enterprise-ready technologies for sports organizations, teams, media companies, and fans. Launched at Web Summit Lisbon 2025, IBM has engaged founders through showcases at Web Summits in Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro, and Lisbon, alongside a16z Tech Weeks in New York and San Francisco, and in virtual forums. These showcase activities were designed to provide visibility and engagement opportunities and did not confer eligibility, ranking, priority, or advancement in the invitation-only Prize Challenge held this week. The invite-only challenge featured seven finalists selected from a broad field of sports technology innovators. Finalists pitched their solutions before a distinguished judging panel that included Sarah Meron, Chief Communications and Brand Officer, IBM; Marc Gené, Ferrari Ambassador, Scuderia Ferrari HP; Brad Smith, Headlines Anchor at CNN; and Frederico Gil, founder and CEO of FREDGIL Academy. 

LivXP, a Swiss-American company accelerated at the Harvard Innovation Labs, is an AI-powered impulse commerce infrastructure for sports: auctions, experiences, and sponsor activations that land at the fan’s emotional high. From the Tour de Suisse to Boston College Athletics, federations, clubs, international events, and U.S. college sports programs use its white-label platform to reach fans in 150 countries.

“We were incredibly impressed by both the technical innovation and practical application of LivXp’s solution,” said IBM Chief Communications and Brand officer Sarah Meron. “At IBM, we’re always looking for new ways AI can help our clients create more engaging, personalized experiences, and we see exciting potential for technologies like this to enhance the work we do alongside our global sports and entertainment partners.”

Upon being announced the winner, LivXP CEO and Co-Founder Ashima Saxena stated, “Every emotional moment in sport revenue is waiting to happen, and AI finally lets sports organizations capture it at scale, without adding staff. We’re proud to have won the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge, and we look forward to working with IBM’s Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Team to bring impulse commerce to more clubs, sponsors, and fans worldwide.”

The Lisbon finale capped a year-long series of startup showcases and judging sessions bringing together influential voices from sports, media, and venture capital, including Maria Sharapova, and representatives from a16z, USTA Ventures, Sony Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), FIFA, and Powerhouse Capital.

Finalists

The seven startups participating in the 2026 IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge were:

Fanory – Fan intelligence platform transforming live sports experiences into memories, assets, and behavioral data.Neuron Systems – Multi agent AI platform for live sports and entertainment that generates real-time commentary, insights, and content for sports fans and creators.LivXP – Fan engagement marketplace that connects sports fans with exclusive experiences, auctions, and interactions with teams, athletes, and sports organizations.PressBox – AI-powered content platform that enables sports leagues, teams, and media organizations to create and personalize content and marketing.NTangible – Verbal cognitive assessment platform that measures how athletes perform under pressure.Proximity Works Inc. – AI engineering company that builds real-time intelligence and fan engagement systems for sports, media, and entertainment organizations.Noiz – Sports-matching platform making it easier to find courts, try new sports, and build player connections.

The Prize Challenge Grand Prize includes up to $100,000 to support an eligible proof-of-concept project with IBM’s Sports and Entertainment Partnership Team, subject to separate review and agreement requirements, up to $20,000 in IBM credits to be applied toward services and technology, mentorship opportunities, and evaluation opportunities described in the Official Rules.

About the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge

Launched in partnership with Web Summit, the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge is a global initiative designed to spotlight startups applying AI and other emerging technologies to solve challenges across the sports industry. Building on IBM Ventures’ mission to connect cutting-edge innovation with enterprise clients, the Challenge extends this approach to IBM’s sports portfolio, using our sports partnerships as a proving ground to showcase technologies with real-world potential for both the sports landscape and broader business applications. The 2026 program included startup showcases at Web Summit Vancouver, Rio, and Lisbon, events during a16z Tech Weeks in New York and San Francisco, and in virtual forms, culminating with the invite-only Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon. These showcase activities provided opportunities for visibility and engagement but did not confer eligibility, ranking, priority, or advancement in the Prize Challenge.

About IBM in Sports

For more than 30 years, IBM has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic sports organizations, including Wimbledon, the US Open, the Masters Tournament, Scuderia Ferrari HP, and UFC. Together, IBM and its partners create AI-powered experiences designed to deliver deeper insights, smarter engagement, and richer digital experiences for sports fans around the globe.

About IBM Ventures

As the corporate venture capital arm of IBM, IBM Ventures invests in startups across enterprise AI and quantum software. A strategic investor, IBM Ventures works closely with startups and founders to bring innovative technologies into IBM and help drive value for IBM clients. Through IBM’s technology, expertise and global client network, IBM Ventures helps portfolio companies build strategic relationships and accelerate their growth.

Media Contact:

Rebeccah Propp

IBM

Rebeccah.Propp@ibm.com

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