Engineering talent was on full display at this year’s SU LaunchLab Hackathon 2025, hosted by Stellenbosch University’s business incubator LaunchLab in collaboration with industry sponsor Spatialedge. The event, now in its seventh year, brought together more than 60 students from across the University to put their skills to the test on a real-world data science challenge. Of these, 35 participants were from the Faculty of Engineering, with many of whom were part of the winning teams.
This year’s challenge, the AMBIENT AI CHALLENGE, asked teams to design a solution that could automatically convert spoken clinical conversations into accurate, structured medical notes. The goal was to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians while improving healthcare efficiency and patient care.
After a weekend of innovation, collaboration and problem-solving, the winning teams were announced:
- First prize – Team Lemurs: Fenitra Robdera, Mwenya Katsumbe, Sinamahlase Sibisi, Retief Louw and Michelle Chidavaenzi (all Engineering)
- Second prize – Team AltF4: Michael Shepstone (Engineering), Johannes Portwig (Science), Joshua Beckley (Science), Katleho Mokoatle (Engineering) and Francois van der Walt (Economic and Management Science)
- Third prize – Team Voice2Vitals: Britton Petersen (Science), Wisdom Peru (Engineering), Ngoie Ntambwe (Engineering), Kiara Moodley (Science) and Daniel Milner (Science)
The SU LaunchLab Hackathon offers students the chance to work with real datasets, receive industry mentorship and showcase their technical skills to potential employers. Beyond the competition, the experience provides invaluable exposure to real-world problem-solving and innovation.
The Faculty of Engineering congratulates all our students who rose to the challenge and excelled in this year’s event!
Photograph: Winners and sponsors of the SU LaunchLab Hackathon 2025.
[Article by Amber Viviers]
