Imperial students win Samsung 'Solve for Tomorrow' competition

Two students from the Department of Materials have won the Samsung 'Solve for Tomorrow' competition 2024.

Samsung's 'Solve for Tomorrow' competition is an initiative that invites young innovators to submit ideas that can help solve societal challenges. Participants use their skills to create innovative projects that can make a positive impact on society.

Anjali Devadasan and Yu Gu of Team Treeva were named the winners in the 18-25 category after nearly 600 applicants entered the competition. Anjali and Yu, both undergraduate students in the Department of Materials, started Treeva in 2022 to address net-zero challenges. 

Treeva were initially selected as one of twenty-four teams by a panel of Samsung colleagues and founders from the tech-for-good sector. Over six weeks, they engaged in design thinking, market research, a prototyping workshop and one-on-one mentoring with industry experts. They advanced to the finals as one of ten teams, participating in a further three weeks of training on pitching and funding.

Treeva's winning submission is a windmill-style device that generates energy from passing vehicles on roads. This device could provide affordable, reliable power and help create safe net zero transport systems.

The team took home a £10,000 prize pot and three months of further Samsung mentoring and support.

Anjali comments: 

"This has been an incredible surprise. We’re so grateful for the support from the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow team and all the mentors who supported us along the way. We can’t wait to progress this idea further and, with this prize, we’ll be able to start working on pilots and with different transport companies. This amazing support will help us turn the idea we had into a reality."

Find out more about Treeva: https://www.treeva.uk/

Find out more about the Solve for Tomorrow competition: https://www.samsung.com/uk/solvefortomorrow/