A team of third-year students from CMKL University’s B.Eng. in AI and Computer Engineering program has transformed a first-year research project into CBILITY Technologies, a student-led startup developing AI-powered crowd analytics for Thailand’s MICE and large-scale events industry.

Their product, CrowdSpec, helps event organizers move beyond basic attendance counting by providing real-time insights into visitor behavior, movement patterns, and zone-level engagement. The platform is designed to support data-informed decisions on event planning, sponsorship value, media spending, and executive reporting.

The team includes Jira Pitakwong, CEO; Sirichada “Tingting” Wattanasiritanawong, COO; Chawin “Win” Luangtumrongjareon, CFO; Natthanon “Non” Prajogo, CTO for software; Phakin “Prue” Dhamsirimongkol, CTO for hardware; and Chutikarn “Ujean” Kanchanaart, CPO. All are third-year students in CMKL’s AI and Computer Engineering program (AiCE).

CrowdSpec was created to address a persistent challenge in the event industry: organizers often lack accurate, varied, and actionable visitor data. Without reliable information on attendance trends, visitor movement, and area engagement, it can be difficult to evaluate sponsorship performance, justify investment, and plan future events with confidence.

The platform uses wide-lens cameras and AI models to detect and process crowd activity in real time. Its analytics include attendee behavior insights and movement trail mapping, helping organizers understand how visitors interact with event spaces. The system also prioritizes privacy by design. According to the team, data is processed immediately and then discarded to support PDPA compliance.

CrowdSpec’s development reflects CMKL’s approach to AI education, where students are expected to build, test, and apply technology in real-world contexts. The idea began with PathSense, a first-year Undergraduate Research and Development project that used computer vision to help visually impaired individuals detect obstacles in real time. The project won first place at the AIS Jump Hackathon 2024 and later received a DEPA startup grant in 2025, giving the team early validation and support to continue developing its computer vision capabilities.

The team later shifted from assistive technology to event analytics through CMKL’s Start Up Studio: Venture Launch course. There, they identified what they described as a “data-blind” environment in Thailand’s MICE industry and began adapting their technical foundation into a commercial analytics service.

CrowdSpec has since moved from pilot development to commercial deployment. The team has implemented its AI-powered analytics platform for major clients including AME Imaginative at Baan Lae Suan Select Fair 2026 and The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) during the 54th National Book Fair & 24th Bangkok International Book Fair 2026. For these events, the system supported attendance trend monitoring, zone-specific engagement analysis, daily performance summaries, and post-event insight reporting.

Today, CBILITY Technologies is preparing for its next stage of growth as a registered company. The team is working to scale operations, formalize long-term partnerships in the MICE and other foot traffic-driven sectors, and explore new markets through the ZERO TO ONE Accelerator Program.

CMKL’s project-based learning environment played a central role in the startup’s development. The team credits the university’s Undergraduate Research and Development competency with helping them build a design-thinking mindset, prototype quickly, and align technical solutions with stakeholder needs. Faculty mentorship also contributed to their progress, including encouragement from Dr. Panarat Cherntanomwong to compete in the AIS Jump Hackathon 2024 and guidance from Professor Dylan Powell through the Start Up Studio course.

“For us, the startup is basically just a way to keep building things together after the course ended. It has been a steep learning curve, but it is rewarding to see something we made as students actually solve a problem for someone else,” the team said.

As Thailand’s event, retail, and public-space industries increasingly rely on data to improve planning and decision-making, CrowdSpec shows how student-led AI engineering can move from campus research to practical implementation. For CMKL, the startup represents the kind of outcome its education model is designed to support: students using AI not only as a technical tool, but as a foundation for building solutions that respond to real industry needs.

Built from first-year research. Tested through real industry use. Scaled into a student-led AI startup.

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Website: https://cbility.com  •  Contact: [email protected]