Last weekend, the winner of the Kaleidoskoop business ideas competition was announced. The winning team was Io_developers, who develop application-controlled optical eyeglasses that enable focus adjustment.
Ten best ideas were selected to the Kaleidoskoop finals held on 17 May at the UT Delta Economics Conference, where the jury declared Io_developers
as the best Kaleidoskoop team, pointing out the working prototype and the consumer need for the product as the biggest assets of the winner.
Vaido Mikheim and Maret Ahonen congratulate Elchin Aghazada, the co-founder of the io_developers.
The winning team Io_developers consists of its founder Elchin Aghazada, who is studying innovation and technology management at the University of Tartu, and Murad Mammadov, a student at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu. They have been elaborating their idea in the STARTER Tartu business incubation programme.
Io-developers won the first prize – tickets to the University Startup World Cup in Copenhagen as well as the opportunity to pitch their idea at the all-Estonian Starter Programme Finals held during the sTARTUp Day business festival in 2020. Head of the jury Vaido Mikheim said, “I believe if Io_developers move forward as planned, they will do very well in Copenhagen.”
Elchin Aghazada and Murad Mammadov were very happy about the prize. Aghazada said that although the competition in Copenhagen is tough, they intend to win there. “We are currently looking for an investment to further improve and develop our product. The first prize of USD 15,000 at the University Startup World Cup would definitely help,” he said.
On the left picture team A Story members
Kati mäesaar and Gbenga Oluyide. On the right picture team Futuclass member Karl Lomp.
The team Quantofin presented a solution that helps investors reduce trading risks by using artificial intelligence. Quantofin was awarded free tickets to the sTARTUp Day 2020 business festival.
Tartu City Government gave an award to the team akvalabs, who help to utilise fish-farming waste in agriculture. The Starter Tartu team A Story, who are developing an application that helps children learn storytelling skills, won an invitation to the EXEX Educational Technology Conference in Tallinn. Two tickets to the “Dear to Learn” conference in Helsinki were given to team Futuclass, who are working on a virtual reality game for learning science.
Members of the jury Vaido Mikheim, Kuldar Leis and Jüri Tarkpea.
The jury panel members were: Vaido Mikheim, project leader of the Tartu Science Park and mentor, Kuldar Leis, experienced businessman and Jüri Tarkpea, Chief Technology Officer of Fleet Complete Nordic. “All the teams were positive and had ambitious ideas! It is nice to see that the entrepreneurial spirit floats over Tartu, ”said Vaido Mikheim, the chairman of the jury.
Elchin Aghazada and Taavi Tamm testing io_developers prototype.
This time there were several ideas in Kaleidoskoop that could change the world of financial technology, medicine or fish farming. Implementation is difficult as usual, but students in Tartu have repeatedly developed raw ideas into a big business before, ”said Kuldar Leis.
Group photo with all the members of the teams participating in Kaleidoskoop.
Event photos on Facebook.
Contact: Andres Vaher, Marketing and Communications Specialist, +372 55587359, andres.vaher@ut.ee