OpenAI 2026 hackathon

ExAi

ExAi is the AI operating system for trade shows, empowering organizers, exhibitors, and attendees with AI-powered event planning, booth intelligence, networking, and real-time insights.

Solo project by apoorv kohli · 0 likes · 0 comments

View the project on Devpost

Archive position — measured, not model output

0 likes on Devpost

2,263 of the 7,850 archived projects have more likes, and 5,587 share exactly 0 — so this project's #4,003 place in the like-ranked listing is a tie-break inside that group, not a ranking.

Projects (log scale)

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Likes on Devpost. ▲ marks this project's group.

Show the figures
LikesProjectsShare of archive
05,58771.2%
11,75822.4%
22843.6%
3–41321.7%
5–9751.0%
10+140.2%
Devpost like counts for all 7,850 archived projects, captured when this archive was built.

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Executive Summary

What the company appears to be

ExAi is an AI-native platform for trade shows, built as a self-contained product by one founder (Apoorv Kohli), with claims of supporting organizers, exhibitors, and attendees through AI-powered event planning, booth intelligence, networking, and real-time insights. The project was submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon on Devpost.

What changed

The author states that ExAi is an end-to-end AI-powered platform built during a hackathon, with ambitions to evolve into an "AI Operating System for the global events industry." It includes claims of AI-generated reports, executive insights, lead management, and personalized attendee experiences.

Single most important open question

Is there evidence of traction, revenue, or real-world adoption beyond the hackathon demo?

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What The Product Actually Is

The description states that ExAi is an AI-powered trade show platform built for organizers, exhibitors, and attendees. It uses AI to generate insights from event data, including live analytics, executive reports, visitor intelligence, lead management, and booth discovery.

It was built using:

  • Next.js (frontend)
  • NestJS (backend APIs)
  • Supabase (auth, DB, storage)
  • Drizzle ORM
  • NVIDIA-powered LLM integration
  • Redis/BullMQ for background processing
  • TypeScript
  • QR-enabled interactions
  • AI knowledge retrieval from exhibitor documents

The platform includes a demo simulation engine that generates realistic visitor activity and engagement metrics.

Inference The product is described as a full-stack, monorepo-based application with AI at its core. However, no evidence of actual deployment or live usage exists beyond the hackathon context.

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Positioning & Claim Evolution

The author positions ExAi as an AI operating system for trade shows, aiming to provide intelligent assistance across all stakeholder types—organizers, exhibitors, and attendees.

Key claims:

  • “ExAi is the AI operating system for trade shows”
  • “Every stakeholder has an intelligent assistant before, during, and after the event”
  • “Transform event data into actionable insights instead of static dashboards”

The platform is described as AI-native, not just AI-enhanced. It includes features like:

  • AI-generated reports
  • Executive insights
  • Lead scoring
  • Booth intelligence
  • Networking support

Inference The positioning implies a comprehensive, integrated solution for the events industry. However, these are self-reported claims without evidence of market validation or adoption.

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Target Customer & ICP

The description states that ExAi targets:

  • Organizers
  • Exhibitors
  • Attendees

Each group receives distinct AI-powered experiences:

  • Organizers: live analytics, executive insights, visitor intelligence
  • Exhibitors: booth intelligence, lead management, AI-assisted conversations
  • Attendees: personalized event experience, booth discovery, networking support

Inference The ICP appears to be the entire ecosystem of trade show stakeholders. However, no evidence is provided about which segment has been prioritized or validated.

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Business Model & Pricing Evidence

There is no evidence in the description of a business model or pricing structure.

The author does not state:

  • How ExAi monetizes
  • Whether it charges per event, per user, or via subscription
  • If there are enterprise tiers or freemium options

Inference The business model remains undefined. This is a key gap in the self-reported information.

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Technical & Delivery Signals

The platform was built using modern technologies:

  • Next.js + NestJS (frontend/backend)
  • Supabase (auth, DB, storage)
  • Drizzle ORM
  • NVIDIA-powered LLMs
  • Redis/BullMQ for background tasks
  • TypeScript
  • QR-enabled interactions
  • AI knowledge retrieval from structured company data

It includes:

  • A demo simulation engine
  • Real-time analytics
  • AI-generated reports and recommendations
  • Multi-tenant architecture

Inference The technical stack suggests a scalable, modern platform. However, no evidence of production deployment or performance metrics is provided.

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Traction & Maturity Signals

The only signal of traction mentioned is that the project was submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon, and includes a demo simulation engine.

There is no evidence of:

  • Revenue
  • Customers
  • Live usage
  • Product-market fit
  • User feedback or adoption

Inference The product exists only as a prototype or demo. No signs of traction or maturity beyond the hackathon context.

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Competitive Context

The description does not mention any competitors or how ExAi differentiates from existing event platforms or AI tools in the space.

There is no evidence of:

  • Competitor analysis
  • Market positioning
  • Unique value proposition relative to others

Inference The competitive landscape is unknown. No differentiation or market awareness is evident.

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Open Questions & Risks

  1. No traction or revenue: The product exists only as a hackathon demo.
  2. Single founder team: Only one member listed (Apoorv Kohli).
  3. Unproven business model: No pricing, monetization or customer acquisition strategy is described.
  4. Unclear competitive positioning: No mention of competitors or differentiation.
  5. High technical ambition with low validation: The platform claims to be AI-native and scalable but lacks real-world testing.

Inference The project is in a very early stage, with no evidence of commercial viability or market traction.

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Questions the description leaves open

  1. What specific event data sources does ExAi integrate with?
  2. How does the platform ensure AI responses are grounded in real-time event data?
  3. Have you tested the platform with any real trade show organizers, exhibitors, or attendees?
  4. What is your go-to-market strategy for scaling beyond a hackathon demo?
  5. How do you plan to monetize this platform?
  6. What are the key technical challenges that remain in productionizing this system?

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Overall Assessment

Not evidenced.

The description provides no information on:

  • Revenue
  • Customers
  • Traction
  • Market size
  • Financials
  • Founders' track record

This is a pre-product, pre-revenue, pre-traction project submitted as a hackathon demo.

Confidence: Low.

This analysis is based entirely on self-reported claims and lacks any verifiable evidence of commercial viability or traction.

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Source

Submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon on Devpost. Project home on Devpost. Back to the full gallery on Devpost.

This competitive analysis was produced by top-founders.com (opens in a new tab)

Generated by a language model from this project's public Devpost page — its tagline, the author's own write-up and any built-with tags listed there — as captured in August 2026. Short quotations are the author's words. It is an opinion on the idea as a business, not on the people behind it, and it reflects the description as published then. If the project has moved on, request a correction below. The analysis is not independent research and contains no verified traction, revenue or customer data.

An independent guide by KFG International LLC — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Devpost or OpenAI.

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