Como 1907 and Google DeepMind launch AI football hackathon

Data on the Lake will invite data scientists, machine learning engineers and sports technology professionals to build tools for use inside a professional football club.

Como 1907 and Como Ventures are launching Data on the Lake, a two-day AI football hackathon created with Google DeepMind. Image credit: Como 1907

Como 1907 and Como Ventures are launching Data on the Lake, a two-day AI hackathon created in collaboration with Google DeepMind to explore how artificial intelligence can support football decision-making.

The invitation-only event will take place in Como, Italy, on 24 and 25 July 2026, immediately before the second edition of Football on the Lake and the Como Cup. Applications are now open, with places limited and subject to approval.

Como 1907 is an Italian professional football club founded in 1907 and based at 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 wider football and lifestyle ecosystem spanning sport, retail, hospitality, media and tourism.

The group also operates through affiliated companies under a Multi-Club Servicing business model, providing services and expertise to other football organizations. That wider structure gives Data on the Lake a route beyond a one-off hackathon, with successful tools potentially tested inside Como 1907 and applied across football operations.

Participants will work with a curated Como 1907 dataset and build AI tools designed for use inside a professional football club. The event is aimed at data scientists, machine learning engineers, developers, sports technology professionals and technical founders.

The hackathon will run under the theme The Future of Football Intelligence, with teams competing across two judging categories: technical innovation and practical utility.

Como 1907 says the program will include contributions from the club’s data science and football operations teams, Google DeepMind representatives, Como Ventures and The Players Fund.

Hackathon targets club decision-making

Data on the Lake will open with Como 1907’s vision for AI in football, followed by the release of problem sets, access to tooling and focused build time.

Teams will develop and present their concepts to a judging panel made up of technical, football and business experts. The judging panel is expected to include representatives from Como 1907’s data science, football, commercial and technology teams, alongside Google DeepMind contributors.

The event will also include technical briefings, project presentations, networking and sessions on AI tooling, football data, startup innovation and applied technology in sport.

Mo Dabbah, Chief Technology Officer of Como 1907 and SENT Entertainment, shared the hackathon on LinkedIn and framed the project around the gap between data collection and operational use inside clubs: “Football produces an extraordinary amount 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 can genuinely help. We are excited to see what happens when strong data, clear problem sets and frontier AI capability are brought together in Como.”

Participants will work with Como 1907 data

The event listing describes Data on the Lake as a hands-on, application-only event for builders working at the intersection of AI, data science and football.

Participants will be asked to tackle real football problems using frontier AI tooling and technology, with submissions judged on how technically strong they are and how useful they could be inside a professional club.

Prizes are still being finalized. Como 1907 says they may include cloud credits, a pathway to pilot with Como 1907, or the opportunity to present work at a future Como Ventures or The Players Fund event.

Dabbah said in his LinkedIn post that participants will work with “a curated Como 1907 dataset and build tools designed for use inside a professional football club.”

Como Ventures builds sports technology route

Data on the Lake follows the launch of Como Ventures, the 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 route to pilot and scale inside the club’s football ecosystem. The AI hackathon is the latest event tied to that strategy.

The event will take place in Como from 10am on 24 July to 5pm on 25 July 2026. Registration requires host approval, with applications now open for technical founders, developers, machine learning engineers, data scientists and sports technology professionals.