One year. 430% ROI. Endless momentum. At Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), Generative AI (GenAI) is no longer an experiment. It’s a capability that is reshaping workflows, unlocking savings, and fueling a new way of working across the group.
Anchored on its Techglomerate vision, AEV has moved beyond experimentation and into execution, using GenAI to elevate decision-making, creativity, and efficiency.
Making GenAI Tangible: Two Campaigns That Moved the Needle
In 2024, AEV’s Transformative Technology Team launched a guided experimentation program that marked their first big step into the GenAI space. The initiative was designed to involve team members by creating a safe, structured space to explore Gemini and ChatGPT.
It combined instructor-led training, self-paced experimentation, and regular feedback loops to accelerate evaluation and support change management. Within weeks, teams discovered GenAI wasn’t just a productivity booster, it could transform how work gets done.
In parallel, the team rolled out TechUp, an informational campaign to build practical GenAI fluency. Through guided prompts, learning sessions, and bite-sized tips, team members shared results and insights across teams. By year-end 2024, the initiative had already delivered a measurable impact: a 430% return on investment in its first year.
These early learnings helped shape what came next in 2025 — two bold, people-led campaigns that transformed exploration into daily application: the Gemini 20-Day Challenge and Mission AI‑Possible.
“The people at AEV have shown that with the right tools, support, and curiosity, GenAI can move from being a productivity booster to a true driver of business outcomes. The momentum is here and we intend to scale what works, build on what we’ve learned, and keep turning ideas into impact,” said FVP for IT and Transformative Technology Wolfgang Merkt.
Gemini 20-Day Challenge: Turning Curiosity into Habit
This challenge familiarized AEV team members with Gemini inside Google Workspace through weekly prompts and daily use cases. People used Gemini to write faster, organize thoughts, summarize content, and generate ideas. For many, it was the first step toward GenAI fluency, establishing habit-forming behavior reflected in growing Daily Active Users and increased use frequency.
Mission AI-Possible: From Workflow Pain Points to Real Solutions
If the Gemini 20-Day Challenge was the warm-up, Mission AI-Possible was the full sprint. The month-long initiative featured:
- Guided tasks across four themed weeks,
- Live learning sessions with technology partners,
- A GenAI CSU Showdown to solve real AEV operational pain points submitted through the Super Ditch Program, and
- The AI Adoption Showcase, where CSUs revealed actual use cases and results
The results spoke for themselves. What began as exploration is now embedded into AEV’s day-to-day operations. Tools like Gemini and ChatGPT are no longer seen as side projects but are integrated into real workflows. Beyond the solutions developed by CSUs during the GenAI Showdown, the AI Adoption Showcase surfaced existing demonstrable successes:
