Kenya team wins Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship

Kenya team wins Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship

Team TAWI, winners in the education category of the 2023 Imagine Cup world finals qualifying round have gone on to win the World Championship. The team qualified from 48 competing global teams to be selected among the top 3 to compete in the World Championship at Microsoft Build. They win the grand prize of USD 100,000, a mentorship session with Microsoft’s Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, and Level 2 access to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.

They faced winning teams from the Americas and Asia regions; Eupnea from the United States, and CS-M Tool from Thailand, respectively. Winning the competition showcasing their solution that seeks to help people with auditory processing disorder communicate more easily. It leverages speech recognition tools from Azure Cognitive Services and OpenAI Whisper to enhance speech, reduce background noise, and transcribe speech to text in real-time.  

winners of the 2023 imagine cup world championship from kenya

Team TAWI consists of Muna Said Nomy, John Onsongo Mabeya, Syntiche Musawu, and Zakariya Hussein, The Applied Computer Technology and Data Science and Analytics undergraduate students of the United States International University (USIU) – Africa in Nairobi, Kenya have become the second African team to win the competition. The former also from USIU became the first student team from Africa to win the competition in 2021.

The team will work to take their solution to the next phase and scale it. Watch the full 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship event and hear more about their solution.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

Check out other Microsoft stories making the news across Africa and the Middle East region.

USIU student team qualifies for Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship

USIU student team qualifies for Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship

Kenya’s student team TAWI has qualified for the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship set to take place in May. The team emerged winners in the education category of the 2023 Imagine Cup world finals qualifying round. Beating 15 other teams to become the top-scoring team and 2023 Europe Middle East and Africa(EMEA) champions. They won USD5,000 in prizes.

Team TAWI also qualified from 48 competing global teams to be selected among the top 3 that will compete in the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship. Where they will compete for the Imagine Cup trophy, the grand prize of USD100,000 to develop their project, and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.

Microsoft Imagine Cup World finalist from Kenya Team TAWI

Team TAWI consists of Muna Said Nomy, John Onsongo Mabeya, Syntiche Musawu, Applied Computer Technology, and Zakariya Hussein, Data Science and Analytics undergraduate students of the United States International University (USIU) – Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. Their innovative solution TAWI looks to make a difference in the lives of those who struggle with auditory processing.

The USIU student team will become the second from the institution to make it to the finals of the Microsoft student technology competition in three successive years. The former became the first student team from Africa to win the competition in its history.

The home-based software leverages real-time speech recognition technology to help children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) communicate more effectively. Instead of traditional hearing aids, TAWI uses earphones to amplify speech and cancel out background noise, making it easier for children with APD to engage in conversations and interact with others. It includes noise cancellation, sound amplification, speech-to-text conversion, and auditory training exercises.

The team will present TAWI at Microsoft Build 2023 where the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship takes place. They will compete against the winning teams from the Americas and Asia regions. Eupnea from the United States and CS-M Tool from Thailand, both from the Health category.

Student teams, Smart Farmer and iBoost from Kenya also emerged as EMEA winners in the Earth and Lifestyle categories respectively.

Hongera to these incredible young developers and all the best to Team TAWI in the championship!🎉

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

UPDATE: 05/04/2023
– corrected the MEA winning prize value from USD50,000 to read USD5,000.
– corrected study program

Check out other Microsoft stories making the news across Africa and the Middle East region.

Students from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa qualify for the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup world finals

Students from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa qualify for the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup world finals

University student teams from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are among the shortlisted finalist of the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup world finals. They are among 16 teams who will represent the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region at the Microsoft Imagine Cup student technology competition.

The African teams consist of seven teams from Kenya, one from Nigeria, and one from South Africa. The remaining finalist teams from the region come from the UK, Pakistan, UAE, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EMEA teams will be competing with 32 other finalist teams from the Americas and Asia regions. For a chance to win USD50,000 in prizes and a spot to present at the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship.

Only three teams will make it to the next stage of the technology competition. The teams will need to get the top-scoring points in the region or category to progress to the next stage. The winning teams will get support from Microsoft mentors to prepare for the World Championship in May during Microsoft Build. Where they will win the grand prize of USD100,000 and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.

African student teams have been performing exceptionally well in the technology competition that seeks to empower the next generation of creators and problem-solvers. In 2021 and for the first time in its 19-year history, an African student team from Kenya won the technology competition.

Here is a highlight of the African teams and their projects.

2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup logo backdrop and throphy

2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup Africa finalists

Team CAi from Kenya. Project category: Health

CAi is an AI-powered wearable device that detects seizures both prior to occurrence and in real-time and alerts caretakers. It uses the patient’s vital signs and body movements to detect seizure-like symptoms.

Team Paramount from South Africa. Project category: Earth

This system addresses the lack of participation in recycling through a gamification approach. Users earn points and badges for recycling and can also use the app to identify the correct bin to use.

Team iBoost from Kenya. Project category: Lifestyle

iBoost is a smart signal amplifier that leverages Azure Machine Learning, Bing Maps platform, and a host of other Microsoft technologies to bring an end to the internet connectivity and cellular network challenges brought about by poor network coverage.

Team IBTRS from Nigeria. Project category: Lifestyle

Institution based transport system (IBTRS) is based on a shuttle management system, IBTRS uses a telegram bot and RFID system to book shuttles at an affordable price for institutions, students, and workers and maximize efficiency.

Team RIM from Kenya. Project category: Earth

RIM Energy is a Smart LPG regulator that improves safety, monitors consumption, detects gas leaks, alerts on refill, and measures carbon footprint to reduce GHG emissions in African households.

Team Score More from Kenya. Project category: Education

Udhamini web app is a platform that gives students access to a centralized repository of scholarships to make opportunities easier to find and ensure that students don’t miss deadlines.

Team Smart Farmer from Kenya. Project category: Earth

Smart Farmer aims to increase agricultural production in order to help reduce food waste using technology.

Team TAWI from Kenya. Project category: Education

Tawi is a home-based software app that helps children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) improve their auditory skills. It includes noise cancellation, sound amplification, speech-to-text conversion, and auditory training exercises.

Team Wastestars from Kenya. Project category: Earth

Wastestars aims to design a smart waste collection system that allows citizens to choose and post the various types of solid waste they want to dispose of on the website and for garbage collectors.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

Check out other Microsoft stories making the news across Africa and the Middle East region.

2022 Imagine Cup Junior AI for Good Challenge winners

2022 Imagine Cup Junior AI for Good Challenge winners

Microsoft is announcing the winners of the 2022 Imagine Cup Junior artificial intelligence (AI) for Good Challenge. The competition is an extension of the Microsoft Imagine Cup world championship. Targeting junior and secondary school students aged 13 to 18. It encourages educators to embrace new technologies like AI and machine learning and then provide these experiences to their students. It also seeks to help students develop skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

Students learn the fundamentals of AI and Machine Learning as well as the application of AI in real life. They also learn Deep Learning, Neural networks and AI for Good.

2022 imagine cup junior AI for good challenge winners

Out of thousands of participants from across the globe, ten teams are global winners. Submitting creative ideas that look to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges using the power of AI.
Out of thousands of participants from across the globe, ten teams are global winners. Submitting creative ideas that look to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges using the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

At Microsoft, we’re always impressed by the creativity in the solutions submitted by the future generation of students. Every student who took part brought their heart to their projects, which really came through to all of the judges.”

Rick Herrmann, Vice President Worldwide Public Sector Education

Here are the top 10 global winners and their creative concepts.

2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior AI for Good Challenge winners

ARISE, Nepal.
ARISE is an AI-driven interactive application promoting accessibility for chemistry laboratory equipment using motion and augmented reality.

AutoCrab, Hong Kong.
AutoCrab is an AI sensor to monitor and regulate water quality in hairy crab aquafarms.

Clean Up Crew, Australia.
Clean Up Crew is an all-in-one AI device that collects and sorts waste materials into appropriate categories for proper recycling.

Earthatarian, United Kingdom.
Earthatarian is an AI-powered application to reduce food waste by predicting the ‘actual expiry’ of stocked food items and monitoring food consumption.

HACKRR, Philippines.
WTFact is a fact-checking browser extension that utilizes AI to detect fake news and make internet users aware of online mis- and dis-information.

NeuSparks, China.
NeuSparks uses Azure AI and Machine Learning to transcribe folk music recordings into digital format (MIDI) that can be easily transmitted and assist in sheet music creation and re-composition.

Sea Waste Scavengers, Indonesia.
This AI concept is a ship fully powered by electricity from hydro and solar energy that tracks, locates, and captures plastic garbage and delivers it to a recycling plant. 

SkyLine Humanitarian, Vietnam.
This AI-integrated mobile application connects hospitals and blood donors by blood type while encouraging potential new blood donors by spreading awareness.

Team Sensory Metaverse, India.
Sensory Metaverse is a VR concept with a headset and a body suit that helps users not only see but feel virtual reality.

VORA, United States.
VORA is a visual object recognition aid for the visually impaired.

Interested in starting a journey of learning AI? Check out these helpful resources: Microsoft Learn for StudentsMakeCodeMinecraft Hour of Code AI tutorial, and Hacking STEM. For students older than 16 who want to take their learning even further, register for the Imagine Cup Collegiate Challenge and apply to be a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi,
sign up so you can get the latest
in breaking news, reviews,
opinions, events,
opportunities and
community updates right
in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]

Kenya students win 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup EMEA regional competition

Kenya students win 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup EMEA regional competition

Sandra Makena and Amanda Flavia, undergraduate students of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT), Nyeri, Kenya, have emerged Earth Category winners of the 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regional competition. They are awarded USD2500 cash and USD2500 in Microsoft Azure credits in prizes.

Sandra and Amanda, engineering and computer science students respectively, teamed up to take part in the Microsoft student technology competition. Qualifying as part of 48 teams to the World Finals stage out of thousands of teams from 160 countries. The 48 teams consisted of four other student teams from Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa representing Africa. Five teams from the Middle East and six from Europe, thus 16 finalists from the EMEA region. With Sandra Makena and Amanda Flavia winning in one of the four categories for the EMEA region.

Microsoft Imagine Cup EMEA

The students with the Team name ‘Sayari’ the Swahili word for planet, conceptualized the ‘Ideal Monitoring System’ to reduce post-harvest losses and maximize yields for farmers. The system, they say, will help farm managers monitor and maintain ideal conditions for maximum yields. As well as the safe storage of agricultural produce in storage and agricultural cold rooms.

Even though Sandra and Amanda emerged as Microsoft Imagine Cup EMEA category winners they did not get the top-scoring points in the region to progress to the next stage. This year only the top-scoring team in each region gets to advance to the 2022 World Championship, which takes place during Microsoft Build in May. V Bionic, a student team from Saudi Arabia, getting the top-scoring points qualifies to represent the EMEA region. They will face off with Melodic, USA and Nana Shilpa, Sri Lanka, Americas and Asia regional winners respectively. For the chance to win the grand prize of USD100,000 and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.

The competition known by others as the Olympics of Technology marks its 20th anniversary this year.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

5 African student teams qualify for the 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals

5 African student teams qualify for the 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals

Five student teams from Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa are advancing to the 2022 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals. For an opportunity to win over USD50,000 in prizing and a slot in the World Championship in May. Where they can win the grand prize of USD100,000 and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.

In the Imagine Cup World Finals round, they will compete against 43 other finalists from across the world. The teams will pitch their ideas to judges, demo their solutions, and engage in a question and answer session. Projects will be judged on their innovative use of Azure technology, accessibility and inclusion, and its marketability as a business idea.

Imagine Cup World Finals 2022

The Africa Imagine Cup World Finalists include three student teams from Kenya, one from Cameroon and one from South Africa. They developed projects and solutions in the Education, Health and Earth competition categories. Five teams from the Middle East and Six from Europe bring this number to 16 finalists from the EMEA region.

The student innovation competition known by others as the Olympics of Technology celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It allows students to create inspiring and inclusive projects using cutting-edge technologies and develop valuable skills. Last year a student team from Kenya became the first African team to win the Microsoft student competition. A testament to the impact skilling and mentorship is having on students through programs such as the Microsoft Learn Students program.

Here are the teams, the qualifying category, the country and details about their solutions.

Imagine Cup World Finals – Africa Teams

Alpha14 – South Africa, Education category

ULearn is an online learning platform that consists of exciting and interactive activities, assessments, simple flashcards, and numerous types of rewards. Activities are fun and motivate Down Syndrome children to learn and gather valuable statistics to track progress and emotions.

Neural Voxel – Kenya, Health category

Neural Voxel enables specialists to easily and swiftly diagnose various forms of diseases in MRI and CT scans with much higher accuracy while at the same time reducing the workload and fatigue rates of specialists.

Sayari – Kenya, Earth category

In order to reduce post-harvest losses and maximize yields for farmers, the Ideal Monitoring System aims to ensure ideal conditions for the safe storage and transportation of produce in transit and in stores.

Team U-Map – Cameroon, Education category

U-Map is a mobile app that serves to provide geolocation services so students and lecturers can get directions to any location on campus using their mobile phones.

The_X_Team – Kenya, Education category

Kaizen helps mitigate issues affecting education in Africa.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi,
sign up so you can get the latest
in breaking news, reviews,
opinions, events,
opportunities and
community updates right
in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]