Today marks a big moment for the 2024 Imagine Cup, as we reveal the top three teams selected from the semifinals to advance to the highly anticipated Imagine Cup World Championship, live on Microsoft Build!
that much Imagine Cupthe premier student technology startup competition, attracted thousands of participants. Student Entrepreneur with a Vision Worldwide. Each team developed AI-based solutions to address pressing challenges including accessibility, sustainability, productivity, and healthcare.
This year's semifinalists demonstrated outstanding innovation with Azure AI services and OpenAI, and demonstrated innovation, grit, and the ability to make a positive impact through entrepreneurship. Congratulations to all semi-finalists About their amazing achievements!
However, only 3 teams have not yet participated. selected Advance to the World Championship to compete on a global stage for the $100,000 Imagine Cup trophy and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella! You can watch this startup live. May 21 Microsoft Build To see who wins.
Introducing Drumroll. in your eyes, JREand planning roadmap! These startups represent the pinnacle of creativity and resilience and embody the spirit of innovation that defines Imagine Cup.
Meet the team! They are listed alphabetically.
in your eyes Turkey for: FROM YOUR EYES used Azure Computer Vision and text translator to build a mobile application that provides fast, accurate visual descriptions to visually impaired users.
In their own words…
Who/what inspires you? “After being selected as one of Microsoft's Women in Technology 2020, I was invited to join the Microsoft Seeing AI program experience team. It was there that I crossed paths with visually impaired developers from around the world who took on responsibilities and important roles. They encouraged me to explore coding. Also, Onur Koç, CTO of Microsoft Turkey, was a great inspiration to us. He said to all student ambassadors:Software is magic. You can change the life of someone you've never met on the other side of the world..' We were deeply moved by this, and with this motivation we tried to reach people with the technology we developed, and we succeeded.” What impact do you want to have with AI?? “The problem of blindness directly affects 330 million people worldwide and indirectly affects more than one billion individuals. For people with visual impairments, using image processing solutions means freedom. Our goal is to enable visually impaired people to live freely through the technology we have developed, to break down the barriers to dreams, and to solve the problem of blindness through technology. This competition will give us the opportunity to promote our technology to the millions of visually impaired people around the world. They have no time to waste. We also want to quickly transfer our technology to people in need.” |
JRE uk for: JRE used Azure Machine Learning, Microsoft Fabric, and Copilot to build a slag detection system for steel continuous casting processes. Accurate detection of slag optimizes yield and improves quality.
In their own words… Who/what inspires you? Jorge: “I learned how to code out of necessity. I took the course in undergrad, but I didn't really like the type of projects we did because it was mainly simulations of atomic interactions and molecular optimization. I thought these problems were beautiful but very abstract. After college, many people wanted to build businesses around apps, and I learned how to code front-end and back-end applications to sell these apps. Later, when I joined the steel industry, I was frustrated with the lack of automation, unsafe and repetitive processes, so I started creating more complex integrated systems in the sector.” What impact do you want to have with AI? “Our goal is to redefine manufacturing for the 21st century, making it smarter, more efficient and more sustainable. Imagine Cup represents a unique opportunity to showcase our solutions to a global audience and gain the support and resources we need to expand our impact. “We are committed to the challenge of solving real-world problems, and we believe this competition allows us to take an important step toward achieving our vision.”
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planning roadmap USA for: PlanRoadmap used Azure OpenAI services to build an AI-powered productivity coach to help people with ADHD who struggle with task paralysis get their work done. The coach asks questions to identify the user's obstacles, suggests strategies, and teaches the user his or her work style. In their own words… Who/what inspires you? Aaliya: One of my biggest inspirations was my father. My father helped guide my path in computer science. He has always been an advocate for women in STEM fields, and even at such a young age, this has given him incredibly strong support. He helped me overcome impostor syndrome and gain confidence in myself through this. He always painted me a vision of who I could be before I believed in myself, and inspired me to be dedicated, passionate and ambitious.”
Clay: “As a child, I was diagnosed with dysgraphia, a condition that impairs writing and fine motor skills. “Even if we don’t explicitly state it, if you have trouble writing even a few sentences in school when everything is handwritten, you are at a significant disadvantage.”
Ever: “My biggest inspiration in pursuing computer science and engineering came from movies. There weren't many people in my life who were in technology, so I got a lot of inspiration from watching technology in movies. “In film, you see technology exactly as the artist imagined it, without the limitations of the real world.” What impact do you want to have with AI? Clay: “As I became more proficient at programming, I realized that not only did I want to do something big, but I had the potential to make it happen. We are united by our mission to help people with ADHD achieve their dreams. Our customer discovery efforts show that despite the significant increase in technology tools, there are still millions of people who face barriers due to ADHD symptoms and related executive function deficits. We want to change that. “Mentorship from Microsoft will help us innovate in technology and provide new approaches to supporting neurodiverse people by providing frictionless experiences.” |
next…
These top three teams will be broadcast live on global stages such as: Microsoft Build on May 21st for the Imagine Cup World Championship, shows the depth and potential of the startup. Follow the journey Instagram and X Stay up to date with all competitive action and join us live Find out who became the champion!