Serent Capital Champions AI Innovation with First Portfolio-Wide Hackathon

Serent Capital Champions AI Innovation with First Portfolio-Wide Hackathon

September 10, 2024

 

Serent Capital, a growth-focused private equity firm, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its inaugural portfolio-wide hackathon, “SerentHack 2024,” held in partnership with InfoMagnus, a premier GitHub partner, with a focus on fostering developer adoption of AI coding assistants. Serent is a proponent of investing in AI, with a majority of its portfolio actively using Generative AI (GenAI). SerentHack continues the firm’s commitment to innovation, building on its role as a premier partner with GitHub.

The hackathon gathered nearly 50 developers from over a dozen of Serent’s portfolio companies, offering them a unique opportunity to explore the potential of GitHub Copilot in enhancing developer productivity. Serent Capital is proud to congratulate the top three winners of this year’s hackathon: Actionstep, BS&A, and HarperDB, who were recognized for functionality and polish, effective use of Copilot, and achievement of stretch goals.

During the hackathon, participants were tasked with solving problems using programming languages they might not typically use, demonstrating the effectiveness of GitHub Copilot in supporting developers as they navigate new and unfamiliar coding environments. The projects were evaluated on overall execution, creativity, and how effectively Copilot was utilized throughout the process.

Prital Kadakia, Partner at Serent Capital, shared, “We’re incredibly excited to see our portfolio companies embracing AI and leveraging tools like GitHub Copilot to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The creativity and problem-solving displayed during SerentHack 2024 were truly inspiring. We look forward to continuing our work with these talented teams as they integrate AI into their product and technology strategies, driving innovation across the board.”

Participants responded enthusiastically, with many developers experiencing GitHub Copilot for the first time. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the hackathon as both a learning experience and an opportunity to showcase the growing role of Generative AI (GenAI) in developer productivity and customer support. Many participants expressed excitement about incorporating GitHub Copilot into their everyday work and look forward to the increased efficiencies it is expected to bring.

 

SerentHack is part of a broader initiative by Serent’s Product and Technology Center of Excellence, which recently launched a cybersecurity program with Code2College and Crosslake. The Center also continues to deepen its partnership with GitHub and drive technological advancements across the portfolio through the leadership of the Operating Product and Technology Directors.

Learn more about how Serent’s Product and Technology Center of Excellence drives innovation and growth here.

 

Serent Capital invests in growing businesses that have developed compelling solutions that address their customers' needs. As those businesses grow and evolve, the opportunities and challenges that they face change with them. Principals at Serent Capital have firsthand experience at capturing those opportunities and navigating these difficulties through their experiences as CEOs, strategic advisors, and board members to successful growing businesses. By bringing its expertise and capital to bear, Serent seeks to help growing businesses thrive. Learn more about our portfolio companies.

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