The innovative AISight application, designed to facilitate mobility for blind and visually impaired individuals, won first place at this year’s LAQOthon, a competition that has been bringing together the best technology ideas focused on sustainability for the third consecutive year. Out of nearly 200 submitted projects, AISight impressed the expert jury the most, securing the grand prize of €10,000.
Second place and a prize of €5,000 went to the team behind Vineyard Angel, an innovative software platform that enhances viticulture production using drones and artificial intelligence. Third place and a prize of €3,000 were awarded to Optibiomics, a platform that enables a personalized approach to treating and preventing diseases related to gut microbiota, including mental health disorders.
The Winning Team
The winning team, consisting of Mario, Lea, and Vanesa, emphasized that the award is a significant incentive for further development of their application.
“Our application uses a smartphone camera and an AI assistant that converts images into audio descriptions, allowing blind and visually impaired individuals to navigate and recognize their surroundings more easily. Our goal is to make it as user-friendly as possible, and this award will help us achieve that. To anyone considering participating, we highly recommend LAQOthon – the application process is simple, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the experience is invaluable,” they shared.
This year’s finalists made excellent use of artificial intelligence, identifying outstanding use cases for its application. The solutions from all ten finalists incorporate AI tools, proving that AI is no longer a technology of the future but of the present.
The Jury and Evaluation
The winners were selected by a six-member expert jury, including:
- Domagoj Čorić, representative of last year’s winning team, Thorondorne
- Dunja Mazzocco Drvar, Director of the Nature Conservation Program at WWF Adria
- Lucija Špiljak, tech section editor at tportal
- Marko Capek, electrical engineer specializing in renewable energy and co-founder of Terra Hub
- Sanja Bavrka, HR Service Manager at Jabil in Osijek
- Ana Zovko, President of the Jury and Executive Director for Digital Business and IT at Croatia Insurance
“Throughout the past editions, we have received an incredible 620 applications, and each year, the ideas and projects are becoming more innovative and of higher quality. We want to thank everyone who has participated in LAQOthon so far, as well as our jury members who have the tough job of selecting the winners. At LAQO Insurance, this competition is extremely important, and we look forward to it every year. Congratulations to the winners, and see you in 2026,” said Ana Zovko.
LAQOthon is part of LAQO Insurance’s sustainability initiatives, which have been promoting sustainable development and raising awareness about the importance of technology for environmental preservation for three years in a row. In previous editions, nine of the best technological ideas have been supported, with total awards amounting to €54,000.
Beyond financial support, LAQOthon provides young entrepreneurs with opportunities for mentorship, networking, and further development of their innovations. In this sense, LAQOthon is not just a competition but a step toward integrating tech innovations into everyday practices, shaping our future. For this reason, LAQO Insurance emphasizes that any idea with the potential to grow and positively impact the environment deserves to be recognized, supported, and developed further.
