Winners of the 14th Edition of the ICC Unveiled

Winners of the 14th Edition of the ICC Unveiled

The 14th edition of the Idiap Create Challenge (ICC) concluded after nine days of intense coding, inspiring talks, and enjoyable social events.

Eight teams competed this year, showcasing a wide array of ideas in the field of AI:

  • Brevity.ai – Automated PowerPoint Generation from Documents
    Team: Yacouba Kaloga & Shashi Kumar (Idiap)
  • DAER – Drone-Based Rescue Solutions In Natural Environments
    Team: Julia Kulagina (ETH)
  • HRMe – A Fair Talent Recruitment Platform
    Team: Laura Vasquez (Idiap), Samuel Michel (Idiap), Bertrand Aubin (EHL)
  • PRIMA Genetics – Medical Treatment Optimization Through Genetic Testing
    Team: Misako Yamazaki, Ana Sprenger, Jacopo Mocellin (UZH)
  • SYNTHIA – AI Band Member
    Team: Fabio Fehr, Karl El Hajal, Laurent Colbois (Idiap)
  • ValViser – Fleet Management System
    Team: Oskar Wysocki, Amir Mohammadi, Florian Piras (Idiap)
  • Wattwise+ – Energy Consumption Platform
    Team: Michalis Charatzoglou & Vasileios Stergiou (AUTH)
  • Hestia – AI Companion To Support New Mothers' Mental Health
    Team: Elona Dekeuwer (HES-SO – Institut et Haute École de Santé La Source), Vincenzo Pallotta (HEIG-VD)

After more than an hour of final presentations and careful jury deliberation, the winners were announced:

  • The Idiap-IdeArk Prize was awarded to team SYNTHIA, which received CHF 15,000 in recognition of the robustness of its project proposing a partner for musical improvisation, as well as the quality of its presentation. 

  • The “AI for Society” Prize, sponsored by Oiken, went to team Hestia, which was awarded CHF 10,000 for the social impact of its project aimed at supporting the mental health of new mothers.

Throughout the challenge, participants immersed themselves in the world of AI, guided by Idiap’s R&D engineers and inspired by previous winners. Among them is David Imseng of Recapp IT and Matthieu Saussaye of Pulse Partners, who transformed their ICC projects into a thriving company in Valais. Experts from the Canton and the Ark Foundation also provided valuable insights, helping teams better understand the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This blend of innovation, learning, and community spirit highlights the unique atmosphere of the Challenge and its role in nurturing the next generation of AI innovators.

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Learn more about the ICC: https://www.idiap.ch/en/innovation/idiap-create-challenge