MYHackathon 2022’s first cohort winners have been crowned, here’s what they learnt

[This is a sponsored article with Cradle.]

Not too long ago, the MYHackathon 2022 concluded its first cohort, and five winners were chosen.

The winners, which consist of technopreneurs, innovators, and subject-matter experts, were each awarded USD$56,000 (~RM259,000), and mentorship to help them develop, refine, and execute their pilot project for the next 12 months.

During the MYHackathon 2022, participants were required to choose one out of five available problem statements and come up with solutions to address them. Those with the best solution will be chosen as the winner.

The problem statements include:

1. Solution to solve the monitoring of subsidised cooking oil in Malaysia.
2. Digital solution to monitor production and distribution of agriculture produce to predict supply and demand.
3. Technological solution for a more effective palm oil harvesting process and activities.
4. Solution for early reconnaissance, Search and Rescue (SAR) for Jabatan Bomba (Malaysian Fire Department) using robotic technology.
5. Solution to monitor and provide countermeasures for drone invasion for smuggling and unauthorized access to restricted areas for Jabatan Penjara (Malaysian Prison Department).

With all that being said, here are the winners, and their experiences going through MYHackathon 2022.

A quick introduction of the MYHackathon winners

To start things off, we have Mohamed Affian, an automation engineer and team leader for Duckarts Studio.

Initially started out as a game development studio, Duckarts Studio pivoted their business towards providing data hosting, data processing, and network infrastructure.

Mohamed Affian’s team chose the first problem statement because of the price inflation of cooking oil in Malaysia.

“While our country is known to be one of the leading producers of palm cooking oil, price inflation of these products has been an issue for a very long time, until now,” he continued.

Their solution was to create an automated system in the supply-chain network that allows them to monitor all stages of the product from manufacturing to sale.

Next, we have FlyBots Technologies led by Fakhrul Azran. His team specialises in AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics. They also provide services such as consultation of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles.

They also plan on offering their own autonomous products for sale, primarily for companies and government agencies for various use cases such as surveying and agriculture.

Because of their experience in drone navigation technologies, they chose the fifth problem statement by combining thermal camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, AI technologies to detect, and jam the signals of intruding drones.

Another winner, A2Tech Sdn Bhd, specialises in selling robotics-related products, as well as developing technical solutions for them. It is founded and managed by Ahmad Athif Mohd Faudzi.

Their expertise in the field of robotics led them to choose statement number four, and they have worked with Jabatan Bomba under the Consortium of Robotics Technology for Search and Rescue Operations (CORTESRO) for early reconnaissance.

We also have The Badangs, led by Dr Wan Aliff Abdul Saad, whose main business model involves converting raw materials into useful products and selling them to distributors, retailers, and consumers.

They chose the third problem statement in the MYHackathon 2022 due to the composition of their team who are mostly from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

By taking advantage of their knowledge in mechanical engineering, their solution was to develop an exoskeleton to assist workers in shifting heavy loads, essentially boosting productivity and prolongs effective work hours.

Last but not least, we have Kapitani Sdn Bhd, the developers of the Kapitani Analytics Platform (KAP) chose the second problem statement as their superapp helps ensure that all data collected from the agricultural industry remains accurate.

They also see a potential in digitalising and integrating the Malaysia Good Agriculture Practice in order to streamline all stages of the agricultural process, which could lead to increased certification adoption.

What was their experience going through the MYHackathon 2022?

Duckarts Studio mentioned that since they’re more technically inclined, participating in the programme has shown that they had to work on improving their pitching skills to potential clients.

The Badangs, on the other hand, felt that their time was well spent, highlighting the opportunity to meet with mentors and coaches frequently and provide updates being essential elements to their project’s progress.

Dr Wan Aliff Abdul Saad highlighted, “The coaches and mentors were helpful when it came to resolving issues that may jeopardise the planning of the project if left unchecked. They helped ensure that our team is still on track in solving the problem statement that we chose.”

For A2Tech, Ahmad Athif Mohd Faudzi praised the programme for giving them clear steps and strategies which has helped them complete their prototype development. They also learnt that retaining connection with their customers and providing long-term after-sales support is important when expanding a business.

When we asked how different their MVPs are now compared to how it was before, Duckarts Studio realised that their MVP is also good for monitoring any kind of logistics-related data.

On top of that, the data collected could be analysed further to find out which stage of the supply chain needs to be optimised, or used as insights to keep shareholders in the loop.

For A2Tech, they mentioned that after several engagement sessions with Jabatan Bomba, they’ve modified their reconnaissance drone to include radiation sensors, multi-gas detectors, and pH sensors to help them understand the environment they are surveying better.

What would the winners say to those looking to join the MYHackathon 2022 programme?

For those interested in joining the next MYHackathon 2022, Mohamed Affian mentioned, “Be patient and always accept rejection, because every rejection is an opportunity to expand your knowledge.”

Ahmad Athif Mohd Faudzi from A2Tech reassured that the MYHackathon is a good starting point for those aspiring to be an entrepreneur with a big idea in mind.

The programme also allows participants to pick up and polish crucial skills like product development, marketing strategies, and how to grow a business properly.

It also serves as a platform for founders and like-minded startups to share their experiences and knowledge in running a business.

The second cohort of MYHackathon has just begun with completely new problem statements expected to be launched on 22 November 2022. 

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Featured Image Credit: Cradle