A From not knowing hackathons to winning one in just a month bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

For my first time at a hackathon I was part of the organizer team at Code #LikeABosch hackathon. How can I put it delicately? I couldn’t have gone to a more exciting hackathon. Just imagine stepping into our venue, Gamerland, then walking towards the main area through a blue led lighted tunnel. From 516 registration we welcomed 75 teams at the hybrid hackathon. In Gamerland we had 78 competitors with us, the rest participated online.

The Code #LikeABosch hackathon was an exciting but very challenging 48 hour competition where Bosch gave away a total of 11 500 Euro to the winners. There were two types of challenges: hardware and software. During these challenging hours Bosch provided mentors who gave tips to the teams regarding their projects. 

The best 8 teams (4 from each) got into the finals. After their creative and informative videos, they pitched their exciting ideas in 4 minutes to the jury and other competitors for the grand prize.

With the challenges the participants tried to solve current worldwide problems, which could be great for society.  After you know more about the topics of the challenges and the winner projects you will come to the same conclusion as I have: we have some geniuses living among us, so let me introduce them to you.

For the hardware task the groups had to come up with an idea on how to save energy at home due to the high bills and energy waste. All of the groups created brilliant and creative ideas. The hardware challenge winner, Superset even demonstrated their project on stage with a radiator and 4D printed components. They designed a heat control system and made a prototype of a wireless heat sensor cube, which can detect the temperature and the people as well, so if it is needed the system can warm up only the relevant area by saving a lot of energy. Honestly, I was stunned at how they could build this amazing idea of theirs in just 48 hours.

The software challenge was about developing object tracking systems for cars. This challenge was really popular among the competitors. The winner team- called HFDN (High Frequency Data Network)- had 3 young members, and this was their first time at a hackathon. They impressed the jury and the other teams so much that they won the grand prize as well. First time competing and 8000 Euro in the pockets? – not bad. Let’s see what all the fuss is about! They developed a secure and low latency network where cars can transmit their sensor information and this information could be used by other vehicles on the road. With this in progress there would be fewer accidents among the cars.

The Audience Award winner, which means the most liked project among everyone who watched the hackathon, also participated in the software challenge. Their team is called HeliCar, and their project was about a drone that follows the car and gives information to the driver.

The venue provided videogames for the competitors for relaxation and extra fun during these testing hours. You could find many kinds of games from the old days (Super Mario, Pacman) to the 21st century, such as Guitar Hero, Fifa and a game for car racing with actual pedals and changers. To be honest, besides the competitors the staff also enjoyed every minute they could spend there playing against each other in their freetime. Unfortunately, my boss defeated me ruthlessly in Guitar Hero, but maybe for my sake it’s the best.

All in all, it was an amazing, cheerful 3-day experience where I met a lot of interesting and clever people. Bosch provided interesting challenges at a great venue. The competitors as well the Bosch and the organizers from CraftHub loved every minute of the Code #LikeABosch hackathon. 

If you are interested in the final projects check this link out!

A My first-ever hackathon: Code #LikeABosch 2022 bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

Before Covid-19 appeared, hackathons were usually offline or fully online. However, the pandemic forced us to move all of our hacking marathons to the virtual space. We quickly learned all of its perks and downsides. Although it allows us and the competitors to build a diverse international network from the comfort of our own homes, it can seem quite repetitive after a while, and the personal side of hackathons just can’t be imitated with online workshops and virtual fun activities.

As soon as the circumstances allowed us to go offline again, we did. However, we did not want to lose the advantages of online hackathons especially because of all the participants who can not yet travel abroad. 

So in the first half of 2022, we organized two hybrid hackathons that were pretty successful, thus we plan on going forward with the hybrid formats as a large amount of the projects submitted comes from online teams.

Hack& Heal | March

Our health / healthcare related hackathon debuted in an online format in 2021. This year with more than 360 applicants from 48 different countries, 90 participants worked at the Budapest venue and the rest joined online. As a result, the number of projects doubled compared to last year’s event, and 52 projects were submitted. Many of which focused on helping Ukraine. Offering psychosocial support for Ukrainian children, reducing the burden of traveling, or improving the mental health of refugees.

3 winner teams took home 4,500 Euros and the grand winner won an industrial-quality 3D printer as well.

CraftHack | May

CraftHack was created as a companion event of Craft Conference for the younger generation who are ready to innovate. In 48 hours, 36 amazing projects were born again by 281 registered participants at this year’s CraftHack hybrid hackathon. Our partners provided fascinating and the winner teams brought home a total of € 9,000!

Gamerland was partly responsible for the unique and fun atmosphere of the hackathon. Thanks to them participants were provided with a modern gaming arena in Budapest with the most powerful computers, consoles, simulators, VR, and exclusive private rooms with many entertainment options.

Fall Hackathons 2022

We can not yet reveal all of our plans for the fall season, but make sure to follow us on all social media platforms because JunctionX Budapest is definitely coming back strong in October, and two other exciting surprise hackathons are also in the making! 🤫 Stay tuned!

A The rise of hybrid hackathons in 2022 bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

With a scalable and holistic loyalty logic, Antavo supercharges the marketing strategy of omnichannel and eCommerce companies and delivers a next-level shopping experience with best-in-class in-store capabilities.

Their challenge at CraftHack was creating a new loyalty program without limiting creativity and is feasible in the current world. Check out their winner project!

TIER Mobility’s mission is to change mobility for good in urban areas and provide alternative means of transportation next to public transport and cars . They want to tap into exploring new cities and cultures and enable their customers to pick a sustainable way to do so.

For their challenge, TIER envisioned an app that would support guided tours and trips to get around a city for sightseeing. Here’s their winner project!

Last but not least, Varian envisions a world without fear of cancer. Early detection of cancer greatly increases the chances of successful treatment, so this is what they are focusing on at our hackathon as well!

Their challenge for the competitors was to develop an application that helps reduce the number of cancer patients by providing prevention strategies and improving early detection. Take a look at their winner project!

The winners also got the unique opportunity to introduce their projects at the beginning of June at one of Europe’s biggest software delivery conferences, also organized by CraftHub: Craft Conference with over 1600 attendees from around the world!

Not to mention the amazing venue provided by Gamerland, a modern gaming arena in Budapest with the most powerful computers, consoles, simulators, VR, and exclusive private rooms with many entertainment options. Check out the aftermovie to get a glimpse of it!

And to end it on a cheerful note, here are a few feedbacks from our inspiring competitors:

“The magic about CraftHack was that unknown people became wonderful supportive team members in no time. Our brainstorming session was so inspiring and working together felt like we’ve worked together for a long time. Acceptance, professionalism, trust, respect and so much laughter. That was my CraftHack!”

“CraftHack 2022 was an inspiring and well-organized event. We could meet so many interesting and talented participants but also talk to clever mentors from the industry. The challenges were well thought out and very practice-oriented. The organizers were friendly, professional, and smart. Most of all, we all had fun and learned a lot. CraftHack is highly recommended!”

A CraftHack | From hackathon ideas to pitching in front of big-tech investors bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

90 participants worked at the Budapest venue and the rest joined online, finally submitting 52 projects, doubling the number of solutions compared to last year’s event.

The winner team, who came all the way from Debrecen, created an application helping the victims of war. This project was not only enough to convince the EPAM jury, but they also impressed the other contestants so much that they took home the Grand prize as well voted by their peers.

Check out their project on this link, and read the interview they’ve given us below!

What’s your project about in a few sentences?

“Our project is to make a web application for Ukraine to get better food, clothing, and accommodation for those who are coming from war zones. There are groups on social networks to help them but it’s quite hectic to keep scrolling and chatting to seek their support.”

What was your main motivation to bring a solution to this specific problem?

“Our main motivation is to support humanity overall. We want there to be peace in this world over the manic leaders only just to show their power. Even our product tagline is Stand for Good.”

What was the biggest challenge regarding this project?

“Our biggest challenge in this project is to get the easy and relational name of the product so that everyone can reach us. We choose Kyiv because it’s the capital of Ukraine and Russia’s main goal is to capture it. So we named it KyivSupport, if someone searches for the Kyiv new or related stuff, they can find the website in the top link and we don’t have to do a lot of search engine optimization. And the second biggest challenge is to make the web application interactive so that people can feel that they have found the complete support package and it should be as user friendly as possible.”

What was the best part / your favorite memory of this hackathon?

“The best moment about the hackathon is of course the winner announcement because we didn’t expect this result. Apart from that, we worked together which was a great experience for all of us.”

What are your plans with the prizes you won?

“Honestly, we haven’t discussed it yet with the team. But our main objective is to use this money for the betterment that can contribute to professional development, not to waste it.”

What would you say to those who are considering joining a hackathon but are not sure yet?

“For those who joined the hackathon, our message is that it’s important to participate and put full effort. Winning doesn’t matter. We saw the work of others and those were also great, best of luck to all of them in the future. And for those who didn’t take part, our suggestion is to just try it out. Because you never know your potential until and unless you challenge yourself and push your limits, and it will unleash your hidden potential.”

If you are interested in other hackathon participant interviews, make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel! We are releasing a short video series with hackathoners, to get their perspectives on these events!

A Interview with the winner team of Hack&Heal 2022! bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

This year’s Hack&Heal focused primarily on globally crucial issues, such as the Healthcare sector, Health Innovation, and Body & Mind, but at the same time, it also opened the door for solutions in each of the three open topics that can support those in need due to the challenges caused by war. Competitors got the chance to develop ideas and solutions to help Ukraine.

Partners did not only help the teams with professional mentors but also made the event extremely memorable: EPAM offered an amazing venue for the contestants to create an impactful project in 48 intense hours. Janssen brought an important challenge, searching for solutions that can help early detection of depression and ensure appropriate treatment for patients. And last but not least, FormLabs spiced up the event with a 3D printer that simply amazed the participants.

This year with more than 360 applicants from 48 different countries, 90 participants worked at the Budapest venue and the rest joined online. As a result, the number of projects doubled compared to last year’s event, and 52 projects were submitted. Many of which focused on helping Ukraine. Offering psychosocial support for Ukrainian children, reducing the burden of traveling, or improving the mental health of refugees.

You can check out all of the final projects on the JunctionApp platform and the live pitches of the finalists team on our Youtube channel.

3 winner teams took home 4,500 Euros and the grand winner won an industrial-quality 3D printer as well.

The grand winner team gave us an interview about their project and how they felt about the hackathon – stay tuned for our next article, if you don’t want to miss it!

Check out the after movie of Hack&Heal 2022!

A The impact of Hack&Heal 2022! bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

In the second half of the year, we had the chance to organise two customized and also the justly famous JunctionX hackathon in Budapest. 

We started the fall with an event for thyssenkrupp. The Engineering in high gear! was a competition for talented Hungarian engineers and during the first round, attendees had to prove their programming skills by solving an easier task. The TOP 20 teams could get into the offline final round to compete with each other in a challenge related to self-driving cars. Get a closer look into the competition and watch our aftermovie.

The developing competition was followed by the JunctionX Budapest in October. Finally, we had the opportunity to organise one of the biggest hackathons in Europe in a hybrid way. More than 15 partners and exactly 100 offline competitors joined us for the 48 hours. The 4 challenges were specified by EPAM Systems, Varian Medical Systems, Vodafone Hungary and Wise and for the 3,000 € grand prize given by Google, 33 projects have been submitted in the topics of unemployment or cancer treatment. To get to know the event better, visit the JunctionApp gallery for the submitted projects or watch our ceremonies and aftermovie in our Youtube playlist.

Our second to last event in 2021 was an online event specifically for Bosch Hungary. The Craft #LikeABosch hackathon featured challenges in 3 themes: software development, hardware development and innovation. More than 200 participants competed for the valuable prizes that were worth 12,000 € in total. The teams could also get help from Bosch experts and in the end, the prizes were shared among the best four teams. All of the projects can be found here and the videos about the event on this link.

And last but not least, in 2021, CraftHub also had the opportunity to contribute to the official Junction hackathon, in addition to organising JunctionX Budapest. We hosted some of the competitors of the international competition in Budapest at the evosoft’s office, so they could work on their solutions together in person. 

Are you a student or innovator and don’t want to miss any information about our future hackathons? Then join our community on Facebook via this link!

Are you from a company or organization and want to join one of our hackathons as a partner or have your own? Contact us via email and we’ll get back to you with some offers or check out our latest sales brochures for hackathons here! 😉

A CraftHub hackathons in 2021 – Part 2 bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.

In 2021, despite the Covid situation CraftHub managed to organise not only conferences but some exciting hackathons too. Due to the virus, these events were mostly online however our biggest hackathon, the JunctionX Budapest could take place in a hybrid format.

Since one of our goals is to help our partners improve and find new solutions to a certain problem, we provide two kinds of hackathons to them: one is when we collect corporations from different fields to define a challenge and the other one is when they get to us with a specific concept to help them reach more innovative minds.

Let us showcase our projects from the first half of 2021 in this short blog post! 😉

In February, we kick-offed the year with a healthcare focus online event, our first ever Hack&Heal hackathon. This aimed to involve partners from the healthcare industry and provide innovative solutions for their problems. This way we had 3 challenges from Janssen Hungary, MSD Pharma Hungary and Gedeon Richter Hungary. More than 200 competitors registered and 25 teams submitted a project. In the finals, 6 teams could pitch their idea and the best ones could take home the grand prize of 2,500 €. The projects can be found on this link or watch the hackathon’s official aftermovie here.

After our first mission of the year, we continued with a more IT related hackathon which was also a co-event of the Craft Conference. CraftHack was held at the end of May online and gathered together companies like Aliz, WorldQuant, EPAM Systems and Siemens. They presented challenges in the fields of data, AI, software development and UI. By the last day of the weekend, 15 teams came up with a solution to one of the challenges and the total amount to be won was 10,000 €. To see who took home the grand or challenge prizes check out our videos about the event or look for them among the project gallery.

If you are interested in our other hackathons from last year, stay tuned and check back soon for the second part of the article! 

Are you a student or innovator and don’t want to miss any information about our future hackathons? Then join our community on Facebook via this link!

Are you from a company or organization and want to join one of our hackathons as a partner or have your own? Contact us via email and we’ll get back to you with some offers or check out our latest sales brochures for hackathons here! 😉

A CraftHub hackathons in 2021 – Part 1 bejegyzés először CraftHub-én jelent meg.