Amazing
🐱 What The Hack 2025: An Intense Weekend of Innovation at SUTD
The doors have closed, the caffeine has worn off, and the prototypes have been packed away, marking the official end of What The Hack 2025! Over the weekend of 19th to 21st September, the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) was buzzing as approximately 300 participants, forming 70 passionate teams, descended for a marathon of rapid innovation.
The atmosphere was nothing short of intense but friendly, a perfect mix of high-stakes problem-solving and shared camaraderie. This year, the event really stood out due to the sheer number of hardware prototypes built, bringing digital ideas into the physical world.
Tackling Real-World Issues
Unlike many hackathons with open-ended briefs, our participants were challenged to focus their brilliant minds on three critical real-world themes: Sleeping, Water Sanitation, and Ageing Population.
The creativity on display was phenomenal, but one team, in particular, captured the hearts (and curiosity) of the judges: Team ME0W. They developed a full, functioning hardware prototype of a ‘cat’ designed to aid users in achieving better quality sleep. It was an inspiring example of taking a complex problem, poor sleep health, and designing a surprisingly charming and tactile solution. Well done, Team ME0W!
Powering the Weekend: The Sponsors and The Committee
An event of this scale simply wouldn’t be possible without phenomenal support. We extend our deepest gratitude to our key sponsors: Expressif, NCS, and IMDA. Their belief in fostering young talent and providing the resources for this challenging environment was crucial.
Of course, behind every great hackathon is a truly dedicated organising committee. While the participants were busy hacking, the committee was busy ensuring the entire show ran smoothly. Special mention must go to the essential welfare runs, those mad dashes for food and drink that kept not just the hackers, but also the exhausted committee members, going!
It wasn’t all plain sailing, though. When our Project Director was unfortunately taken ill with a fever, a few of us had to step up immediately to cover multiple roles. The moment served as a testament to the incredible teamwork within the committee; we rallied together, ensured the momentum wasn’t lost, and successfully kept the entire operation running until the very last pitch.
The Ultimate Pay-Off
For the organising committee, the greatest reward is simple: seeing the hackers find the experience fun and rewarding. To witness such dedication over 48 hours and know that our effort has empowered so many bright minds to learn, build, and connect makes every late night worth it.
Congratulations again to all the participants for their incredible work. We can’t wait to see where your innovative spirit takes you next!
Hack or be hacked.
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