After a successful launch event, the Intel® Liftoff Days returned for a second edition last July. The event was a great opportunity for startups to test multi-modal integration and efficiency through quantization.
Startups were invited to dive into Intel's powerful cloud resources and AI tools to come up with solutions that combine different types of data including text, images, and audio, all within a single model.
It was a jam-packed, innovation-driven experience, pushing the limits of what AI can do!
What we covered
Our workshops and brainstorming sessions explored a variety of AI topics, all designed to introduce members to the latest techniques and spark fresh ideas and discussions. The week was structured to provide both learning opportunities through workshops, and flexible time for project development.
Here’s a snapshot of what we covered over the course of the week.
Monday
How we got started:
- A kick-off session covering introductions and the expectations for the week ahead
- Introduction to Intel® Tiber Developer Cloud with Rahul Nair, Desmond Grealy and Basantra Patra
- Pitch and scope projects
- Tech mentoring session
Tuesday
Our sessions covered:
- Workshop on how to speed up your development
- Insights on the AI agents in startups
- A workshop on inference of multimodal models on Intel’s CPUs and GPUs, presented by Rahul
- Insights on deploying multimodal models
Wednesday
- Workshop and insights on fine tuning multimodal models
Thursday
- Workshop covering quantization with OpenVino hosted by Desmond
- Insights on optimizing LLM’s compression in startups
Friday
On Demo Day, projects were pitched by the 5 participating startups. This is where our participants were able to practically apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the week.
Their 3-minute pitch included the following:
- The starting point for their project
- The stage of their project
- A definition of their project
- Their learnings and next steps
Friday’s session was wrapped up by recapping the learnings and insights from the week.
The five startups that successfully competed in the hackathon with a final pitch included bitHuman, PeopleSense.AI, Maplewell Energy, Reama AI and kAI.
Technology we explored
The hackathon focused on multi-modal AI and quantization, encouraging startups to leverage Intel's cloud resources and AI technologies. Multi-modal AI involves integrating and processing various data types, such as text, images, and audio, within a single model. Quantization, meanwhile, reduces the precision of numbers used in the model, improving efficiency.
What we achieved
The event strengthened relationships between startup teams and Intel's technical experts, fostering a community of shared learning and support. Startups gained valuable mentorship, learned how to optimize models for efficiency, and explored the potential of multi-modal AI applications.
The hackathon not only showcased brilliant ideas but also displayed the strength in collaboration for accelerating AI development and implementation.
Rahul Nair, mentor in the Intel® Liftoff program, highlighted the significance of using optimized multimodal models for efficient inference on Intel hardware. He concluded, "Optimizing multimodal models for Intel CPUs and GPUs can significantly enhance performance and usability."
Fellow mentor, Bob Chesebrough praised the advancements and potential of multimodal models, and urged startups to capitalize on these technologies.
Intel® Liftoff’s Global Community Manager Eugenie Wirz had this to say about the hackathon, "Sharing our experiences and insights is crucial for mutual growth and success."
The Intel® Liftoff Days hackathon showcased the power of innovation and collaboration in advancing AI. Startups, experts, and advanced AI tools came together to create impactful solutions and build valuable connections, highlighting the potential of multi-modal AI and quantization. We look forward to more events like this, where the AI community can continue to learn, innovate, and drive future growth together.
If you’re an early-stage AI startup wanting to make an impact through innovation, apply now to join the Intel® Liftoff Program for Startups.
As a Software Tools Ecosystem Specialist at Intel, I’ve had the privilege of working on the dynamic GenAI initiative. My focus is on driving engagement with the software developer audience. I'm a proud team member of the Intel® Liftoff for Startups and the Developer Engagement, Relations, and Studio team.