Best Innovative Minds 2024: Revolutionizing Industries with Cutting-Edge Solutions and Game-Changing Ideas
- A New Chapter in Innovation
2. High Stakes, Big Rewards
3. A Jury of Industry Experts
4. The Finalist and Winning Teams of Best Innovative Minds 2024
4.1 vizOps – Real-Time Software Architecture Visualization
4.2 Shape Flow - Real-Time CFD Simulation
4.3 P.R.I.S.M. – Smarter Disaster Preparedness with AI Mapping
4.4 PARL - Reducing Food Waste Through Smart Supply Chains
4.5 Rent4Students - A Smarter Way to Find Student Housing
4.6 Labeld - Decode Ingredients, Track Allergens, Eat Smarter
4.7 ExpenseGuardian - Simplifying Warranty and Expense Management
5. Looking Ahead
At ASSIST Software, innovation is at the core of everything we do. Best Innovative Minds has become a defining event that brings together the brightest developers, designers, and engineers from within ASSIST Software, challenging them to transform ideas into tangible solutions. More than just a competition, BIM encourages creativity and pushes projects beyond the prototype stage, turning them into real-world solutions for communities, businesses, and industries.
Here's a summary of the key moments from Best Innovative Minds 2024!
- A New Chapter in Innovation
The 2024 edition of BIM raised the stakes with new competition rules, interactive jury feedback, and a stronger focus on real-world applications. In a year defined by rapid developments in AI, sustainability, and digital transformation, participants were encouraged to think bigger, push boundaries, and deliver solutions that could make a difference locally and globally.
The journey began in September 2024, when participants submitted their software solutions or products for consideration. This year, for the first time, teams had the chance to refine their ideas early in the process through dynamic jury feedback, improving their concepts before the selection phase ended.
2. High Stakes, Big Rewards
The finalists worked intensively over the following months, refining their prototypes and preparing for the final showdown. The competition peaked in February 2025, when the teams presented their finished projects to the jury.
The stakes were high, with participants competing for prestigious awards and significant cash prizes:
🏆 First Place: €1,500
🥈 Second Place: €1,000
🥉 Third Place: €700
🎖 People’s Choice Award: €500 (voted by ASSIST Software employees)
💡 Most Disruptive Use of Technology Award: €500
For the 2024 edition, BIM also introduced a special lottery for outstanding projects, ensuring that even the most unconventional ideas had a chance to be rewarded.
3. A Jury of Industry Experts
The evaluation process was conducted by a panel of experts, bringing together professionals from within ASSIST Software, leading academic figures from Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, and influential business leaders in our area. Their diverse expertise ensured a well-rounded assessment of the projects, emphasizing technical innovation, feasibility, and real-world impact.
4. The Finalist and Winning Teams of Best Innovative Minds 2024
After months of development, collaboration, and late-night coding sessions, BIM 2024 reached its thrilling conclusion. Now, let’s meet the winning teams with their groundbreaking solutions.
4.1 vizOps – Real-Time Software Architecture Visualization
- 1st place and Most Disruptive Technology Award winners -
- Transforming Software Development with Automated System Diagrams -
(Team members:Vlad Dedita, Andrei Cioban, Razvan Gherca, Cosmin Florica)
Modern software systems rely on complex microservices architectures, making tracking dependencies, detecting bottlenecks, and maintaining up-to-date documentation increasingly difficult. The vizOps team tackled this challenge with an automated real-time visualization tool that generates architecture diagrams simultaneously.
Technologies:
🔹 Code analysis: Extracts metadata at compile time
🔹 SaaS model: Integrated into CI/CD workflows
🔹 Visualization engine: Generates clear, interactive system diagrams
Key features:
✔️ Eliminates outdated documentation with automated updates
✔️ Enhances visibility into microservices, APIs, and dependencies
✔️ Detects issues early before they impact development
✔️ Integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines
One of the developers reflected on the experience:
"Every development team struggles with outdated architecture documentation. We created vizOps to solve that—and BIM gave us the platform to make it happen." - Vlad Dediță, Deputy of Java Technologies
Impact on Industry: With companies increasingly relying on distributed systems, vizOps enhances efficiency by eliminating outdated documentation and reducing debugging time, making it a crucial tool for DevOps teams and enterprise software architects.
4.2 Shape Flow - Real-Time CFD Simulation
- Second Place winners at the Best Innovative Minds competition -
- Revolutionizing Aerodynamics with Instant Computational Fluid Dynamics -
(Team Members: Cosmin Miron, Tudor Horomnea)
In the world of Formula 1, teams face time and resource constraints, including CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations. Drawing from this reality, the Shape Flow team developed a groundbreaking tool that enables real-time modifications of 3D models within CFD simulations—a capability that was previously unavailable in existing solutions.
Most current CFD solutions are slow and costly, with financial and computational limitations making them inaccessible for many engineers. These constraints make performance optimization a lengthy and expensive process. With this tool, engineers benefit from immediate feedback and can refine their designs more efficiently.
Technologies:
🔹 Unity for real-time simulation.
🔹 Compute Shaders to accelerate processing using GPUs.
🔹 Voxelization for efficient model adjustments.
🔹 Genetic Algorithms to optimize aerodynamic performance.
Features:
✔️ Real-Time CFD Simulations – Instantly visualize and optimize aerodynamic performance without restarting the simulations.
✔️ Interactive 3D Model Adjustments – Modify design models within simulations without the need to restart computations.
✔️ GPU-Accelerated Processing – Uses compute shaders to deliver high-speed performance.
✔️ AI-Driven Optimization – Implements genetic algorithms to enhance efficiency and aerodynamic performance.
The Best Innovative Minds competition proved to be an invaluable experience, providing a holistic perspective on product development—from ideation and planning to implementation and deployment. Beyond technical aspects, the process involved team and resource management, adding a crucial managerial dimension. Unlike daily routines, this experience offered deeper insights into the project lifecycle and the challenges that arise at every stage. - Cosmin Miron, Software Development Engineer
Impact on Industry: This tool accelerates design iterations in aerodynamics-driven sectors like automotive, aerospace, and energy, enabling faster, more efficient product development.
4.3 P.R.I.S.M. – Smarter Disaster Preparedness with AI Mapping
- third place winners at the Best Innovative Minds competition -
Smarter Disaster Preparedness with AI Mapping
(Team Members: Alexandru Strujac, Andrei Hilote)
The P.R.I.S.M. team set out to address an urgent global challenge - the increasing frequency of natural disasters. As floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events become more common, early prediction and efficient response planning are more critical than ever. P.R.I.S.M. leverages AI, geospatial data, and real-time analytics to provide accurate risk assessments, helping communities and decision-makers act faster and more effectively.
Traditionally, disaster response teams faced challenges in forecasting and evaluating risks to infrastructure and communities. P.R.I.S.M. tackles this issue by transforming complex data into actionable insights, improving evacuation plans, enhancing coordination between response teams, and eliminating critical delays during emergencies.
Technologies:
🔹 Data Science & AI: Python, Machine Learning for predictive analysis
🔹 Geospatial Mapping: GIS, OpenStreetMap, Copernicus satellite data
🔹 Weather & Risk Modeling: Integrated meteorological and environmental data
🔹 Interactive Visualization: Real-time flood simulations and dynamic risk maps
Features:
✔️ AI-Driven Risk Assessment – Uses machine learning and geospatial data to predict disaster risks and assess potential damage.
✔️ Real-Time Evacuation Planning – Provides dynamic, data-driven evacuation routes and real-time updates to optimize emergency safety.
✔️ Improved Coordination for Response Teams – Facilitates seamless communication and collaboration between disaster response teams with real-time data.
✔️ Dynamic Risk Maps – Interactive, constantly updated maps showing areas at risk for specific disasters, such as floods and wildfires.
✔️ Weather Impact Simulation – Simulates and visualizes the impact of extreme weather events on infrastructure and communities in real time.
One of our team members reflected on the journey:
"This project is about more than technology - it’s about saving lives. BIM helped us fine-tune our approach, ensuring P.R.I.S.M. delivers real, measurable impact in disaster-prone areas." - Andrei Hilote, Software Engineer
The BIM competition gave the P.R.I.S.M. team a valuable opportunity to refine the platform and showcase its global scalability. The feedback helped shape it into a vital tool for disaster preparedness and risk mitigation worldwide.
Impact on Industry: Governments, insurers, and disaster response teams can leverage P.R.I.S.M. for better risk planning, optimized response strategies, and reduced infrastructure damage - saving lives and resources.
4.4 PARL - Reducing Food Waste Through Smart Supply Chains
Popularity Award winners at the Best Innovative Minds competition
Reducing Food Waste One Producer at a Time
(Team Members: Robert Anton, Robert Croitor, Ioana Poroch, Emanuel Ungurean, Maria Botosan)
The PARL team addresses the global issue of food waste, rescuing perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to landfills. By connecting local producers directly with consumers, PARL eliminates intermediaries and reduces supply chain inefficiencies, making fresh food more affordable and accessible.
Leveraging AI-driven demand forecasting, PARL helps minimize surplus, supports local farmers, and ensures that food is distributed efficiently to those who need it most.
Key Technologies:
🔹 Front-end: React
🔹 Back-end: Django API
🔹 Database: PostgreSQL
🔹 Cloud Architecture: AWS (EC2, S3, CloudFront CDN)
🔹 AI & Machine Learning: Predictive analytics for smarter distribution
Features:
✔️ Direct Producer-Consumer Connections – Eliminates intermediaries, ensuring fresh food reaches consumers directly from local producers.
✔️ AI-Driven Demand Forecasting – Uses machine learning to predict demand, reducing surplus and minimizing food waste.
✔️ Efficient Distribution – Optimizes distribution routes and schedules to reduce costs and environmental impact.
✔️ Sustainable Consumption – Makes locally grown, fresh food more affordable and promotes responsible consumption.
A team member shared their perspective:
"We didn’t just build an app—we built a movement for sustainable consumption. BIM helped us refine our business model, ensuring our impact extends beyond technology." - Ioana Poroch, Software Development Engineer
The Best Innovative Minds competition allowed PARL to refine its solution from both a technical and business standpoint, focusing on financial sustainability and market positioning. Another team member shared:
"This process helped us build a scalable model with real-world impact - promoting responsible consumption and strengthening the local economy." – Robert Anton, Software Development Engineer, Phyton Technologies
Impact on Industry: PARL revolutionizes food supply chains by connecting local producers directly with consumers, reducing waste, cutting costs, and improving food accessibility. Leveraging AI-driven demand forecasting, it optimizes distribution for efficiency and sustainability. Hire experts to transform your supply chain today.
4.5 Rent4Students - A Smarter Way to Find Student Housing
A Smarter Way to Find Student Housing
(Team Members: Adriana Becica, Daniel Flutur)
The Rent4Students team tackled a problem familiar to students, landlords, and real estate agencies—the complex, often unreliable student housing market.
Traditionally, students searching for rentals relied on classified ad websites or social media groups, often encountering scams, missing information, and unnecessary delays. Rent4Students offers a secure and streamlined alternative, leveraging AI-powered matchmaking, automated document pre-filling, and object detection technology to simplify the rental process.
When asked about the key strengths of Rent 4 Students, the project team highlighted:
"Our app eliminates uncertainty in student rentals. It’s fast, secure, and built to connect the right tenants with the right properties effortlessly." - Adriana Becica, Software Development Engineer
Technologies:
🔹 Front-end: React, Redux
🔹 Back-end: Node.js, PostgreSQL, FastAPI
🔹 AI & Machine Learning: Python, TensorFlow, Custom Object Detection Model
Features:
✔️ AI-powered roommate matching based on compatibility scores
✔️ Object Detection Model to analyze property images
✔️ Integrated messaging between landlords and tenants
✔️ Smart contract and payment assistance for secure transactions
The Best Innovative Minds competition gave the Rent 4 Students team an invaluable opportunity to refine their skills. One of the developers shared:
“This experience taught us how to collaborate efficiently, optimize our time, and deliver a product we’re truly proud of. The challenges, teamwork, and late-night coding sessions were all part of the journey.” - Daniel Furtuna
Impact on Industry: The student housing sector, real estate agencies, and landlords can leverage this solution to create a more transparent, fraud-free rental process, improving access to affordable accommodation.
4.6 Labeld - Decode Ingredients, Track Allergens, Eat Smarter
Empowering Consumers with Transparent Food Labeling
(Team Members: Nadejda Cojocaru, Marian Pascari, Alexandru-Lazar Serediuc)
The Labeld team set out to solve a growing problem: making food labels transparent and accessible to everyone.
In Romania, 1 in 3 children is overweight, and 20% are obese. Food labels can be misleading, often masking the real impact of ingredients on health. Allergen warnings, hidden in fine print, pose serious risks for those with dietary restrictions. Labeld simplifies food choices by eliminating confusion and helping users understand what’s in their food.
When asked about Labeld’s core mission, the team shared:
"We built Labeld to give people control over their food choices. With clear ingredient explanations and automatic allergen detection, making informed decisions has never been easier." – Nadejda Cojocaru, Product Designer
Technologies:
🔹 Mobile Platform: Seamless experience combining ingredient scanning, allergen tracking, and personalized recommendations.
🔹 AI-Powered Insights: Uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and NLP (Natural Language Processing) technology to extract and interpret label information.
🔹 Smart Alerts: Automatic notifications for hidden allergens and harmful ingredients.
Features:
✔️ Clear Ingredient Explanations – Transforms complex labels into easy-to-understand insights.
✔️ Automatic Allergen Detection – Highlights potential risks for users with allergies or intolerances.
✔️ Real-Time Decision Support – Fast, AI-driven scanning for better choices, even while shopping.
With Romania’s health and wellness market rapidly growing, digital solutions for healthier living are in high demand. While other apps focus solely on individual users, Labeld takes a collaborative approach, offering tailored solutions for families and individuals. Labeld is more than just an app—it’s a personal guide to smarter, healthier food choices.
Impact on Industry: As health-conscious consumers grow and food regulations tighten, Labeld helps manufacturers and retailers boost transparency, enabling informed dietary choices.
4.7 ExpenseGuardian - Simplifying Warranty and Expense Management
AI-Powered Financial Organization for Smarter Spending
(Team Members: Emy Iacob, Alexandru Popitan, Iulia Mitu)
Keeping track of warranties and expenses can be a hassle - lost receipts, forgotten deadlines, and missed opportunities for free repairs or replacements. The ExpenseGuardian team tackled this challenge with an intelligent, automated solution that ensures users stay on top of their financial records effortlessly.
Technologies:
🔹 AI-powered extraction: Automatically captures and organizes receipt and warranty data
🔹 Smart notifications: Alerts users before warranties expire
🔹 Expense insights: Provides a clear overview of spending patterns
Features:
✔️ Eliminates manual tracking of receipts and warranties
✔️ Prevents missed opportunities for free repairs or replacements
✔️ Offers financial insights for better budgeting
✔️ Seamlessly integrates with multiple document formats and import methods
Inspired by real-life frustrations, the team created a tool that simplifies financial organization. By leveraging AI and automation, ExpenseGuardian transforms scattered receipts into structured data, ensuring users never miss a deadline or overlook a potential saving.
BIM provided the perfect environment to refine ExpenseGuardian, offering valuable feedback and new development directions. Engaging with industry professionals helped the team fine-tune the solution to meet real user needs, making financial management smarter and more intuitive.
Impact on Industry: Retailers, banks, and fintech firms can leverage this technology to boost customer loyalty, enhance financial literacy, and streamline warranty claims. Hire experts to optimize your financial solutions today.
5. Looking Ahead
Best Innovative Minds 2024 that creativity and hard work can drive real-world change. From cutting-edge tech solutions to addressing critical global challenges, the winning teams have shown us what's possible when innovation meets purpose. We’re excited to see where these ideas will go next and proud to have been part of this journey. Congratulations to all the participants for their incredible work, and here's to the future of innovation!
