New challenge focuses on the rising role of AI agents in financial decision-making
OTTAWA, ON, January 28, 2026 — MindBridge, the leader in AI-powered financial decision intelligence, is announcing the return of its Data Science Challenge in partnership with Carleton University. Now in its second year, the challenge invites Carleton’s undergraduate and graduate students in technical disciplines to solve a financial analytics problem using advanced AI techniques. This year the focus is all about AI agents.
The initiative is part of MindBridge’s ongoing commitment to support the academic community and nurture emerging talent poised to shape the future of the finance industry.
“AI agents are changing how we think about financial processes” said Rachel Kirkham, Chief Technology Officer at MindBridge. “This challenge gives students hands-on experience with emerging AI techniques that will soon become foundational to how businesses identify risk and drive insights.”
The 2026 Data Science Challenge begins on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with a MindBridge-hosted lecture on Agentic AI, Design Patterns, and Applications by Dr. Aras Kayvan, Senior Data Scientist at MindBridge. The lecture provides participants with essential context on LLMs, AI agents, and agentic workflows.
Over the next eight weeks, students will develop agentic workflows and code-based solutions to build AI agents targeted at challenges of modern audits, forensic accounting, and enterprise risk assessments.
“Agent-based systems are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in AI,” said Olga Baysal, Director of the Institute for Data Science at Carleton University. “Through this challenge, our students gain valuable exposure to real industry problems while experimenting with one of the most exciting areas of data science today.”
Global businesses are looking for new ways of doing work. MindBridge is excited for the participants to apply technical skills, analytical judgment, and creativity to real-world financial problems, offering a forward-looking experience at the intersection of data science, accounting, and AI.
Challenge Details
Eligibility: Open to all data science, science, computer science, engineering graduate and undergraduate students from Carleton University.
Start Date & Lecture: January 28, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in HP 5345, Carleton University.
Submission Deadline: March 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Winners Announced: March 31, 2026
Prizes & Career Opportunities
Submissions will be evaluated based on performance, creativity, innovation, and presentation. Top entries will receive:
- 1st Place: MacBook Pro
- 2nd Place: iPad Pro
- 3rd Place: iPad
As a leader in AI transformation, MindBridge is also offering winners of this challenge an interview for a paid internship at MindBridge in Ottawa, Ontario. Those selected will have the opportunity to contribute to MindBridge’s mission of helping organizations navigate evolving financial risks, using AI as a key driver of transparency, efficiency, and informed decision-making.
About Carleton University
Carleton University is located in Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1942, Carleton is a dynamic, research-intensive university with a proven commitment to teaching and learning. Carleton offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs across a wide range of disciplines. Carleton’s location in Canada’s capital city gives our students unique opportunities to learn and work in a vibrant, multilingual and multicultural environment. Carleton has an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching, and our faculty are known for their dedication to student success. Learn more at https://carleton.ca/.
About MindBridge Analytics Inc.
MindBridge is the leader in AI-powered financial decision intelligence. The MindBridge platform empowers finance teams to analyze 100% of financial transactions in real time, enabling organizations to detect risk, surface anomalies, and optimize performance with greater speed and accuracy. At the core of the platform is the Central Insights Factory — a proprietary AI engine that transforms complex financial data into trusted, actionable insights. Trusted by auditors, finance leaders, and regulators around the world, MindBridge delivers transparent, explainable AI that strengthens internal controls, enhances compliance, and supports smarter financial decision-making. Learn more at mindbridge.ai.