Como 1907 and Como Ventures launch a two-day Data on the Lake. A.I. Hackathon in collaboration with Google Deep Mind Explore how artificial intelligence can support decision-making in football.
This invitation-only event will be held in Como, Italy on 24th and 25th July 2026, just before the second edition of Football on the Lake and the Como Cup. Applications are currently being accepted, but space is limited and approval is required.
Como 1907 is an Italian professional football club founded in 1907 and based at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shores of Lake Como. The club returned to Serie A in 2024 and has since positioned itself as part of a broader football and lifestyle ecosystem spanning sport, retail, hospitality, media and tourism.
The Group also operates through affiliated companies based on a multi-club services business model, providing services and expertise to other football organizations. This broader structure allows Data on the Lake to route beyond a one-off hackathon, with successful tools tested within Como 1907 and potentially applied across football operations.
Participants will use the carefully selected Como 1907 dataset to build AI tools designed for use within professional football clubs. This event is aimed at data scientists, machine learning engineers, developers, sports technology experts, and technology founders.
The hackathon will be run under the theme ‘The Future of Football Intelligence’ and teams will compete in two judging categories: Innovation and Practicality.
Como 1907 said the program includes contributions from the club’s data science and football operations teams, representatives from Google DeepMind, Como Ventures and The Players Fund.
Hackathon targets club decision-making
Data on the Lake launches with Como 1907’s vision for AI in football, followed by problem set releases, access to tools, intensive build times, and more.
Teams will develop a concept and present it to a judging panel made up of technical, soccer and business experts. The judging panel will include Google DeepMind contributors, as well as representatives from Como 1907’s data science, football, commercial and technology teams.
The event will also include technical briefings, project presentations, and sessions on networking, AI tools, soccer data, startup innovation, and applied technology in sport.
Mo Dabbah, chief technology officer at Como 1907 and SENT Entertainment, shared the hackathon on LinkedIn and framed the project around the gap between data collection and in-club operations. “Football generates huge amounts of information, but the real opportunity lies in how clubs turn that information into better decisions.”
He added: “This hackathon is about bringing together people who understand technology with people who understand football and asking them to build tools that are truly useful. We look forward to seeing what happens when powerful data, clear problem sets and cutting-edge AI capabilities are brought together in Como.”
Participants work with Como 1907 data.
The event listing states that Data on the Lake is a hands-on, applications-only event for builders working at the intersection of AI, data science, and football.
Participants will be asked to use cutting-edge AI tools and technology to tackle real-world soccer problems, and submitted work will be judged on how technically strong it is and how useful it is likely to be within a professional club.
Prizes are still being finalized. Como 1907 says it may include cloud credits, a pathway to a Como 1907 pilot, and an opportunity to present work at a future Como Ventures or The Players Fund event.
In a post on LinkedIn, Dabbah said participants will “use the carefully selected Como 1907 dataset to build tools designed for use within professional football clubs.”
Como Ventures builds sports technology route
Data on the Lake follows the launch of Como Ventures, a startup and investment platform created by Como 1907 and The Players Fund in September 2025.
Como 1907 says the platform gives early-stage companies a path to pilot and scale within the club soccer ecosystem. The AI hackathon is the latest event related to that strategy.
This event will be held in Como from 10am on July 24th to 5pm on July 25th, 2026. Registration is subject to organizer approval and applications are now open for technology founders, developers, machine learning engineers, data scientists, and sports technology professionals.
