IE Sci-Tech Students Innovate and Win on the Global Hackathon Stage
From New York to Paris, IE Sci-Tech Students Lead the Way with Tech Innovation.
IE Sci-Tech students have been gaining international recognition at some of the world’s most competitive hackathons, delivering award-winning tech solutions. From blockchain innovations in Paris to digital agriculture breakthroughs in New York, IE Sci-Tech students are showing just how relevant their classroom learning—from entrepreneurship and technology to solving real-world challenges—is on the global stage.
From Ithaca’s Farmlands to the Global AgTech Scene
Third-year Bachelor in Business Administration and Data Analysis (BBA-DATA) students Armand Hubler and Emili Khachatryan stood out at Cornell University's Digital Agriculture Hackathon in Ithaca, New York. Competing against a field dominated by master’s and PhD students, their project Seed Capital reached the finals and earned honorary mentions from Cornell University.
Seed Capital is a platform designed to empower small and medium-scale farmers in developing regions. It combines satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and IoT sensor data to provide real-time, locally relevant insights—delivered through a simple WhatsApp bot interface. With internet access often limited in rural areas, the team prioritized accessibility and ease of use, addressing a crucial barrier in modern agriculture.
"Competing alongside seasoned researchers and graduate students at Cornell was an amazing experience," said Armand Hubler. "Not only did we get the opportunity to showcase our solution and network with experts, but we also really deepened our understanding of agriculture’s digital future and developed skills which we feel will prove useful to the sector one day."
Showcasing Blockchain Innovation in Paris
Meanwhile, in Paris, IE Sci-Tech students showed off their blockchain expertise at the Paris Blockchain Week Hackathon during a grueling two-day sprint to build the next generation of Web3 solutions. Two IE teams participated, with the undergraduate team capturing second place and a €3,000 prize in the Bahamut challenge track with their solution Rod for Bahamut - Boost Smart Contract Earnings with PoSA.
The winning team—Keti Sulamanidze, Irakli Sulamanidze, Luca Cuneo, Miguel Chapero Berzi, and Andres Befeler—developed a tool that enables users to input Ethereum smart contracts and immediately see how they would perform on the Bahamut Proof of Stake Authority (PoSA) network. Their working minimum viable product allowed deployment to Bahamut with minimal effort.
“The idea was simple but powerful,” said Irakli Sulamanidze. “Users can input any Ethereum smart contract and instantly see how it would perform on Bahamut. With just a few clicks, they can even deploy it directly to the chain. It was exciting to turn this concept into a working MVP in such a short time.”
At the same event, a team from the IE's Master in Big Data and Business Analytics proposed a blockchain platform to tokenize solar energy projects, allowing small investors to support renewable energy initiatives while gaining protection against rising electricity prices. Their concept leveraged the XRP ledger to make green energy investment more accessible and inclusive.
Reflecting on the experience, Ricardo Urech, one of the master’s participants, said the event was an eye-opener not only in terms of networking with peers from diverse backgrounds but also in understanding the immense potential blockchain holds to disrupt traditional systems.
"Blockchain is an impressive technology facing adoption challenges as it has the potential to transform entire industries," he noted, emphasizing the importance of continuing to experiment with real-world use cases.
StartHack 2025: Collaboration on the Frontlines of Innovation
Sci-Tech students also made their mark at StartHack 2025 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, a hackathon known for its intense, challenge-driven format. Over 36 hours Keti and Armand teamed up with Allan Stalker and Jackson Ly, working alongside their international peers to tackle real-world business and tech problems provided by major global companies. They collaborated across multidisciplinary teams, rapidly prototyping solutions that addressed themes like fintech innovation, sustainable tech, and AI-driven services. Their participation strengthened their technical and teamwork skills and allowed them to apply creative thinking under real-world conditions—skills highly valued by industry partners scouting for emerging talent.
In addition to the highly competitive hackathons and startup incubators held regularly at IE—such as Venture Day and the Tech Venture Bootcamps, where Sci-Tech students develop project with the guidance of professional mentors and pitch their ideas to real-world experts—these international achievements are an indication of how IE students are stepping confidently onto the global stage. Not only are they learning about tech and innovation in the classroom; they are applying it in demanding environments, sharing their ideas with global audiences and actively contributing to the future of industries like agriculture, energy, and finance.
Speak to your professors or keep an eye on screens across campus for more information on how to apply to upcoming hackathons and innovation challenges—whether at partner universities or through industry initiatives like the Impact Xcelerator programs.