7X and 42 Abu Dhabi Academy have named the winners of the Next Mile Hackathon, a 24-hour build in which 15 student teams developed agentic AI prototypes for trade, transport and logistics. The three winning teams shared AED 30,000 in prize money.
The build ran on 5–6 August at the 42 Abu Dhabi campus and marked the first milestone of Build with 7X, the group’s open innovation initiative pairing operational problems with academic talent and startups.
The three tracks — Dynamic Last-Mile Routing, Intelligent Capacity Planning and Predictive Network Optimisation — came from EMX, the logistics arm of the 7X Group. The briefs were the unglamorous end of logistics: dispatch still runs on manual calls, demand moves weekly, and nobody has a single view of the network. Projects were scored on feasibility, applicability, expected impact on operational efficiency and quality of execution.
| Place | Team | Track | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nova Dreamers | Predictive Network Optimisation | AED 15,000 |
| 2nd | CatDoesDelivery | Intelligent Capacity Planning | AED 10,000 |
| 3rd | HUBris | Predictive Network Optimisation | AED 5,000 |
Tariq Al Wahedi, Group CEO of 7X, said the sector’s future will be defined less by moving goods faster and more by how quickly data becomes decisions:
“The future of trade, transport and logistics will not be measured solely by expedited movement of goods. It will also be defined by how fast data is translated into decisions, ideas into real-world applications, and innovation into tangible economic impact.”
Fatima Al Fouladhi, Acting CEO of 42 Abu Dhabi Academy, said the collaboration showed the power of connecting education with industry. Students get graded on problems that pay actual wages somewhere.
7X will now assess the winning ideas — and the wider hackathon field — for practical application within its group companies.
MBZUAI ran a similar student-AI play with its K2 Think hackathon last year. Agentic AI has reached consumer apps too: Google Maps now orders food and books hotels for users.
The winning teams may also be invited to continue their projects through the 7X Builders Program, with a pathway to internships.
Who won the Next Mile Hackathon?
Nova Dreamers took first place and AED 15,000 with a project in the Predictive Network Optimisation track. CatDoesDelivery placed second (AED 10,000) in Intelligent Capacity Planning, and HUBris took third (AED 5,000) in Predictive Network Optimisation.
What was the Next Mile Hackathon?
A 24-hour build run by 7X with 42 Abu Dhabi Academy on 5–6 August 2026. Fifteen student teams developed agentic AI prototypes for trade, transport and logistics across three tracks drawn from real problems at EMX, 7X’s logistics arm.
What happens to the winning projects?
7X will assess the winning ideas — and the wider field — for practical application within its group companies. The top teams may also be invited to continue their work through the 7X Builders Program, with a pathway to internships.
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