From its online launch on April 24, 2026, through weeks of intense development, to its high-energy Grand Finale in Warsaw on June 19, 2026, IDEASHACK 2026 has officially wrapped up. The pan-European “sciencepreneurship” hackathon—organized by the IDEAS Research Institute under the ELIAS project and ELLIS Unit Warsaw—brought together top emerging talent, researchers, and innovators to solve one of deep-tech’s biggest questions: How do we effectively translate cutting-edge scientific research into market-ready business solutions?
From Academic Labs to Real-World Impact
IDEASHACK 2026 set out with a clear mission: building a bridge between science and business. The initiative welcomed interdisciplinary teams from across Europe to design AI-driven concepts and platforms that map academic expertise and accelerate knowledge transfer.
Out of 20 squads competing from all over Europe during the online sprint, the top 5 finalist teams earned their spot at the high-stakes Demo Day in Warsaw. Presenting before a demanding jury of experts representing science, industry, and venture capital, the finalists demonstrated both scientific rigor and entrepreneurial potential.
Winner Spotlight & Awards
With a total prize pool of €12,000, the jury recognized the most feasible, original, and impactful solutions for accelerating Europe’s AI ecosystem.
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🥇 1st Place (€5,000): Team Master Builders
- Project Title: ResearchRadar
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An AI-powered research intelligence platform designed to bridge the gap between industry R&D needs and academic research. Built entirely on open data (OpenAlex, CORDIS, ORCID), it allows users to describe an industry need in plain language and returns ranked academic papers mapped to calibrated Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 1–9) with transparent, explainable evidence paths.
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🥈 2nd Place (€4,000): Team Lockedin
- Project Title: LabConnectors
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An operating system and ecosystem designed to turn research events (hackathons, conferences, meetups) into structured pipelines for pilots, partnerships, and investments. It features AI-ranked talent discovery with commercial intent signals, EventOps workflows, and automated warm introductions between scientists, corporate R&D teams, and investors.
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🥉 3rd Place (€3,000): Team Fjaka
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Project Title: ScienceBridge
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A translation and trust platform aimed at connecting orphaned, cross-domain scientific research with commercial industry applications. It utilizes an interactive 3D knowledge graph (GraphRAG), AI-generated synthesis cards that turn research fragments into business hypotheses, and an agentic verification system that provides tamper-proof “credibility passports” for researchers.
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Ecosystem Synergy & Strategic Partnerships
IDEASHACK 2026 stands as a testament to the power of cross-border and cross-sector collaboration. By connecting emerging researchers with industry leaders, the initiative reinforces Europe’s vision for trustworthy, sustainable, and high-impact AI.
The success of this year’s edition was made possible through the support of key ecosystem partners:
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Strategic Partner (IDEAS Research Institute): ORLEN S.A.
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Partners: Swissnex, Google, Polish Development Fund (PFR), ELIAS Project
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Patronage: Ministry of Digital Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
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Media Partner: ITwiz
Relive the Energy: Official Recap Video
Check out the official video recap below to experience the highlights, pitching moments, and vibrant energy from Demo Day in Warsaw: