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The AI landscape was accelerating, while the tech ecosystem felt heavy. Layoffs and uncertainty created stagnation, and many talented designers, developers and founders felt unsure how to turn AI hype into real action.
Most events were talk-heavy but action-light. There was inspiration everywhere — but little momentum.Instead of waiting for better times, we decided to create them.
AI-Hack was created to turn inspiration into execution — and to inject new momentum into the Gothenburg tech scene.We designed a hands-on format where designers, developers and founders prototype real AI solutions in small teams — not just talk about them.
Our first edition took place at Gothia Towers in collaboration with AI Gothenburg, Lovable and Winningtemp. The response was immediate, and additional sponsors joined organically as momentum started building.
Beyond the event itself, we have established a growing AI-Hack community at Discord and committed to recurring editions. What began as a local initiative has quickly evolved into something larger, leading to real investor conversations and strategic interest around scaling the format further.
AI-Hack is no longer just an event — it is a platform in motion. To be continued.
Co-founder & Concept Lead, Strategy, brand direction, experience design and partnerships.
Core team: 2 founders, sponsors, partners and community contributors
Figma, Lovable, OpenAI, Linkedin/instagram, event production stack
Concept to first edition: ~6 weeks Ongoing recurring initiative
AI-Hack started from one insight: Gothenburg has strong tech and AI talent, but few spaces for real execution. Unlike Stockholm’s event-heavy scene, we saw a gap for hands-on building — not just networking.
We moved fast, validated interest directly with founders and builders, shaped a lightweight concept and secured early sponsor approval before scaling.
Validate first. Then grow.
The first edition was supported by AI Gothenburg, Lovable and Winningtemp, and hosted at Gothia Towers.
The initiative quickly attracted additional partner interest, validating both demand and ecosystem relevance.
We developed a bold and crisp visual identity designed to reflect both clarity and experimentation.
The brand balances structure with generative energy — combining sharp typography and high-contrast layouts with AI-generated visuals. This approach mirrors the essence of AI-Hack: structured building within an emerging, rapidly evolving space.
Generative AI was intentionally integrated into the visual language, not just as a tool but as a statement. It reinforced the message that this is a hands-on AI initiative — built with the very technology it explores.
The result is a distinctive identity that feels futuristic, sharp and high-signal within the Gothenburg tech scene.
AI-Hack was launched through a lean, fully organic go-to-market strategy, activating our network via LinkedIn and Instagram.
Traffic was directed to a focused landing page with a frictionless signup flow (awareness → website → venue registration).
Within 48 hours, 50% of the seats were booked.
Without paid advertising, we achieved a 20% conversion rate — validating both positioning and strong local demand.
We learned that energy drops after long talks — especially when the goal is to build. AI compresses execution time, which means hackathons must be structured differently.
Less inspiration. More activation.
At the same time, venue alignment matters. For the next edition, we’ll design a format that supports both momentum in the room and business goals for partners.
AI-Hack isn’t about adding another tech event.
It’s about creating movement.
