Singapore, 13 March 2026 — IBS Software, a leading AI-driven product company in the travel technology sector, has completed its largest global hackathon, bringing together over 300 engineers, product consultants, and product managers across nine cities and four continents to build real-world Agentic AI solutions for the travel, cargo, logistics, and hospitality industries. Participants from offices in India, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Germany collaborated over three days, with 90% having no prior Agentic AI experience before completing a 2.5-month training programme ahead of the event.
The three-day event, held from 24 to 26 February 2026 in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), saw 60 teams of four to five people develop working prototypes designed to solve operational challenges faced by IBS Software's airline, cargo, and hospitality customers. AWS provided the technical infrastructure, supported enablement through platforms such as AWS Skill Builder, conducted workshops, and assisted with use case refinement. Product teams curated 21 use cases based on real customer needs, spanning the company's travel platforms.
The first prize was awarded to Shreemanjari Sahu, Neeraj K, Mithun S, and Ghiridhar S from Chennai, Bangalore, and Trivandrum, who developed an AI-powered collaborative travel planning solution for IBS Software's cruise platform. Their innovation enables travel agents and multiple travelers to share preferences through chat sessions, allowing the AI system to recommend optimal cruise-centric itineraries while a resource dashboard monitors usage and identifies cost-reduction opportunities.
"Hackathons are our fastest path from curiosity to capability. In one global event, we applied Agentic AI to real scenarios, paired domain expertise with engineering craft, and delivered agents we are ready to deploy," said Somit Goyal, Chief Executive Officer, IBS Software.
The hackathon reflects IBS Software's commitment and investment in AI across the company and its product portfolio. In November 2025, the company announced a Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to co-engineer iRetail, an AI-first retailing platform for the airline industry. IBS Software also launched a Data and AI Centre of Excellence in 2024 and introduced AI-powered virtual agents for its iCargo platform in October 2025.
IBS Software's own research found 42% of air cargo workers cite outdated technology as a source of daily frustration, and 59% have considered leaving the industry altogether. Initiatives like this hackathon aim to close the gap between legacy systems and the modern tools employees and customers need. Teams worked across time zones during the three days, with the finale on 26 February featuring presentations from the top 5 teams judged by IBS Software and AWS leadership.