The ability to innovate, the desire to create a solution to a problem and to conquer the market are common features of projects that apply for E. Awards year after year. Despite the atypical year we are experiencing, a record number of 16 teams competed in the 3rd edition of E.Awards@Técnico – Final Pitch, held last December 16.

The president of Técnico, professor Rogério Colaço, highlighted the importance of this award. “The E.Awards@Técnico play a very important role in the academic life of our students and later in their professional lives, because they will have the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned here”.

The E.Awards@Técnico 2020 ceremony took place online for the first time. The vice president of Técnico for Operations and Enterprise Relationships, professor Pedro Amaral, moderated the session. In just 3 minutes, the teams presented their ideas and solutions, value proposition and business plan.

The projects brought disruptive solutions to various problems in different sectors. Over more than two hours, the teams presented several projects, such as: a solution that will allow users to have an intelligent and personalized television experience; a platform that allows displaced students to rent furniture remotely; a portable box to store and sanitize reusable face masks; a platform that connects the best mental health experts and people who need them.

The “Go No Go” project won this year’s edition and the team received €2,000 from Santander Universities Portugal to develop its business idea. Diogo Roque, Pedro Fulgêncio, Peer Johansen and Maria João Fragoso are the Técnico students behind the winning project. The innovative project aims to streamline and automate the disinfection procedures of conveyor belts at supermarkets, especially in these pandemic times when sterilization should be done on a permanent basis. Through the device installed on the conveyor belts and using UV-C light technology, the young entrepreneurs promise to eliminate pathogens from these surfaces, saving supermarket employees much time while providing faster service.

Two honourable mentions were delivered to “Wavean” and “Forgetting Dementia”. Each project received €500 from Armilar Venture Partners, aimed to improve projects performance.

The “Forgetting Dementia” team designed a device to support the memory of people with mild cases of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which will allow users to use a face recognition system, or get daily reminders. The device is very similar to ordinary glasses and is connected to a virtual database, and it promises to make a difference in the lives of these patients and their caregivers.

The “Wavean” project focuses on urban waste collection. The team developed a device to be installed in the garbage trucks, in order to optimise the urban waste collection. The garbage trucks operators are informed in real time about the capacity of the vehicle and route planning.

The jury was composed of João Cabral, co-founder and executive director of Startup Sintra, Amelia Santos, co-founder and CEO of Innuos and Técnico alumna, José Guerreiro de Sousa – Partner at Armilar Venture Partners and Sofia Frére, director of Santander Universities Portugal.

“I would like to thank Técnico for the dedication and commitment to all our joint projects”, said Sofia Frère. “We firmly believe that in order to succeed in the new business environment, we need a workforce that is both talented and motivated”, added the director of Santander Universities Portugal.

The winners of the Web Startup Game (TWSG), developed by the Técnico professor Luís Caldas de Oliveira, aimed at challenging entrepreneurship students to play the role of investors, were announced at the event. The two winning teams will have the opportunity to meet with Armilar Venture Partners investors.

The “Go No Go” project was the winner of this year’s edition. The team received €2,000 from Santander Universities to develop its business idea. Diogo Roque, Pedro Fulgêncio, Peer Johansen and Maria João Fragoso are the Técnico students behind the winning project. The innovative project aims to streamline and automate the disinfection procedures of conveyor belts in supermarkets, especially in these pandemic times when sterilization should be done on a permanent basis. Through the device installed on the conveyor belts and using UV-C light technology, the young entrepreneurs promise not only to eliminate pathogens from these surfaces, but also to save time for supermarket employees.

Two honourable mentions were delivered to “Wavean” and “Forgetting Dementia”. Each project received €500 from Armilar Venture Partners, aimed to improve  projects performance.

The “Forgetting Dementia” team designed a device to support the memory of people with mild cases of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which will allow users to use a face recognition system, or get daily reminders. The device is very similar to ordinary glasses and is connected to a virtual database, and it promises to make a difference in the lives of these patients and their caregivers.

The “Wavean” project focuses on urban waste collection. The team developed a device to be installed in the garbage trucks, in order to optimise the urban waste collection. The garbage trucks operators are informed in real time about the capacity of the vehicle and route planning.

The jury was composed of João Cabral, co-founder and executive director of Startup Sintra, Amelia Santos, co-founder and CEO of Innuos and Técnico alumna, José Guerreiro de Sousa – Partner at Armilar Venture Partners and Sofia Frére, director of Santander Universities Portugal.

“I would like to thank Técnico for the dedication and commitment to all our joint projects”, said Sofia Frère. “We firmly believe that in order to succeed in the new business environment, we need a workforce that is both talented and motivated”, she added.

The winners of the Web Startup Game (TWSG), developed by the Técnico professor Luís Caldas de Oliveira, aimed at challenging entrepreneurship students to play the role of investors, were announced at the event. The two winning teams will have the opportunity to meet with Armilar Venture Partners investors.