Stella Artois, Budweiser and Becks owner Ab InBev hosts first hackathon

by Sara Spary February 12, 2015

Ab InBev: runs hackathon to find ways to use 'big data'

Ab InBev ran its first hackathon in London last week, where it explored ways of developing stronger connections with consumers.

The beer giant, which also owns brands including Corona and Leffe, was host to 70 developers, designers and entrepreneurs exploring ways to deliver its food and beer pairing application programme (API) to consumers.

Ab InBev said the three-day event showcased its commitment to leadership in innovation and was the "launch party" for the tech that was built by the company's digital innovation team, Beer Garage.

Start up company Whisk took the top prize for iBeerMail.io, which uses data to wrap ecommerce with weather, food and beer into one consumer experience.

Gustavo Pimenta, VP IBS Europe, AB InBev, said: "As our customers increasingly integrate technology into their lives, we are committed to innovation that enables stronger connections between consumers and the beer they love."

Jean-Jacques Velkeniers, VP Marketing Europe, said: "Customers are increasingly using their mobile devices before and during shopping to aid in their decision-making, so it was exciting to see so many uses of the API designed to serve up data in a relevant and useful way at the point of purchase."

Ricardo Dias, VP Consumer Connections, said: "This weekend’s hackathon is just the launch party for this API. It is an early example of the big data partnership opportunities that we see within the tech industry."