Move 37
Move 37: A student competition at the intersection of the future of AI and finance during London Tech Week 2026.
In 2016, an AI played a single move in a game of Go that no human would have considered. The commentators called it a mistake. The world champion sitting across the board left the room to compose himself. It was the 37th move of the game — and it turned out to be one of the most brilliant ever played. The machine had seen something that human intuition had initially missed.
Finance is now where Go was in 2016.
AI is starting to see things in markets that we don't — patterns, risks, opportunities, entire questions we never thought to ask. Some of it is noise. Some of it will be the next Move 37.
We want you to find one.
Move 37 brings together the sharpest students across London to make a case for something AI changes about finance — markets, lending, payments, insurance, fraud, regulation, anything. You don't need to be a finance expert. You don't need to be an AI expert. You need one good idea and the nerve to argue for it.
Two ways to enter
The Essay — for the thinkers. One to two pages making your case. No code, no deck, no pitch — just a sharp argument, well made. The strongest essay wins £250 and opens the night with an optional five-minute talk to the room.
The Build — for the makers. Build something that that showcases what/how AI is changing finance! A tool, a model, a workflow, a prototype. Submit the link to your Github/Devpost along with a short note on what it does, and if you're shortlisted, demo it live to the panel on 9th June. Optional: you can also submit a link to a video walkthrough via Loom or Vimeo. Five finalists, with 4 taking home £250, and a £500 grand prize for the best of the night, with a fast-track into Wissen AI's hiring process.
Azure credits will be given to winners and 14 shortlisted across both tracks.
Submissions for your tool/essay close midnight, 4 June. Winner for the essay track will be announced on the day. Shortlisted individuals on the build track will be announced on the day and given 10-15 minutes to prepare for live pitches.
The details
📍 Imperial College London
📅 Evening of 9 June 2026 — during London Tech Week
🏆 £1,750 prize pool + £20,000 in Azure credits
✍️ Submissions close midnight, 4 June
Schedule on the day
The schedule
🕕 7:00 — Doors open
🎤 7:05 — Welcome & shortlist announcement
🚀 7:10 — Founders' address from the Wissen AI team
✍️ 7:20 — Winning essay: a five-minute opening from the night's best writer
⚡ 7:25 — Live demos: five finalists, five minutes each, before the panel
🏆 8:05 — The grand prize announcement
🍕 8:05 onwards — Pizza & networking
On the panel
Our judging panel includes Sherry List, CTO in Residence at Microsoft for Startups.
How submissions are judged
Both tracks are judged on the same core question: is this a Move 37 — a genuinely non-obvious insight?
Essay track
Insight — is the idea surprising, and right?
Reasoning — does the argument hold together?
Honesty — does it take on the strongest counterargument?
Clarity — can anyone in the room follow it, finance or AI background or neither?
Builder track
Insight — is the idea behind what you built non-obvious?
What AI changes — is AI core to it, not bolted on?
Execution — how real is what you've built? (Working beats promised.)
Delivery — can you make the case on stage, and hold up under questions?
No submission? No problem. You can still come to our event, see exciting demos, and have pizza whilst networking.
Alongside the judges, angel investors from Wissen's network will be in the room. Pitch well, or simply hold a sharp conversation, and you may find the right person was listening.
Hosted by Wissen AI, in partnership with Imperial AI Society, Imperial Investment Society, and UCL AI Society.
Supported by Microsoft for Startups.
What's your Move 37?