Staying Innovative!
On the 29th of April the first ever Online Speed Dating Event took place. After the Virtual Kick Off Event we had learned a lot and were able to improve our skills regarding live streams and hosting an online event. Innovation is just as important for us as it is for the teams and partners, therefore we are excited to keep improving our skills and making each online event a little better!

The afternoon was packed full of interviews, important information and of course speed dates! More than 20 partner companies and nearly 30 teams joined this event resulting in more than 100 speed dates. The teams had the opportunity to receive feedback from the coaches on their pitch, overall idea and further development. Throughout the afternoon the teams and coaches were able to get to know each other even better and made the most out of this great opportunity. 

We hope that everyone enjoyed this afternoon and was able to gather new insights! Now it is time for the teams to add the last few details to their project before we make a decision on whom the finalists will be. Which teams will make it to the top 20? Which teams will be able to pitch their idea in front of the jury and audience? On the 15th of May we will announce the 20 teams that have been selected! 

The winner of the Online Audience Prize! 

During the last few weeks the teams have been busy collecting votes for their idea or prototype. The teams were able to share their profiles with their whole network including friends and family. In total the teams received more than 2000 votes. The team which received 524 votes and therefore the winner of the Online Audience Prize is team KEBL! 

1st Place
Team KEBL is a bicycle lighting solution, specifically trying to encourage people to use bicycle lights, by providing a product easy to use. How? The lights of KEBL can be charged simultaneously in its case, so the lights will not run out of battery life. The case is pocketable, because of its small size, and attachable to a keychain. 

2nd Place
The runner-up is team A Place for Now with more than 300 votes! A Place for Now aims to ease the transition towards university life and alleviate the housing crisis for incoming students, by connecting them with locals who can provide temporary housing solutions. 

3rd Place
In third place with more than 200 votes is team Nano! Nano aims to use the wasted energy in movement to create electrical energy. They propose to use nanoparticle-doped triboelectric generators. This focuses on a charge that is created when two plastics touch each other. 

Congratulations on receiving so many votes for your team! 

We wish all the teams a lot of success for the coming two weeks and look forward to announcing the finalists on May 15th!