CUNEF Universidad’s 1st Student Hackathon drives innovation

CUNEF Universidad has taken a firm step towards promoting creativity and innovation among its students with its 1^st Hackathon, organised jointly by Jaime González Sacristan, the student in charge of CUNEF Entrepreneurship Club, and Victoria López López, Director of the School of Engineering, in collaboration with Juanma Sáez, Co-founder and COO of Nomu Labs, and Geoffrey Rolin Jacquemyns, Co-founder of Pitchless. 

This initiative, held at the Pirineos Campus, challenged students to navigate complex scenarios in finance, sustainability and digital transformation. Working in multidisciplinary teams, the 60 participating students were given three hours to ideate, design and pitch their business concept and build a minimum viable product using the AI-powered tool Lovable.

Winning Student Proposals

All the proposals were presented to a panel consisting of Jaime González, leader of the Entrepreneurship Club, Victoria López López, Director of the School, of Engineering, and the representatives of the collaborating companies. After careful deliberation, they announced the winners of this year’s Hackathon:

• Rahul Gopwani: Forge

An AI-powered platform designed to help users master social and professional skills through realistic conversations. From interviews to negotiations, they practice in real-world scenarios with instant feedback for rapid improvement.

• Juan Miguel Piñuela Otero: RootNet 

A platform that enables companies to decode and enhance employee collaboration by providing HR leaders with actionable insights into team dynamics and performance. 

• Olga Zygarowicz, Marina Pougy, and Sofía Núñez: Smart Travel

A travel app designed to streamline group planning and connect users with like-minded travellers. The platform merges shared coordination, AI-generated itineraries and social networking. 

Prize for the winners

The prize for the three winners of this first edition features a two-part reward. First, a one-on-one session with business angel and entrepreneur Javier Mateache Calderón, offering the students a chance to pitch their ideas for potential investment (either for immediate backing or future development) and receive strategic guidance to refine their project. Second, access to the exclusive Beta Dash community, a prestigious network connecting past champions from across Spain and Europe. 

CUNEF Universidad commends the commitment and dedication of all participating students, highlighting the vital role played by such initiatives in fostering the financial and technological skills of future professionals.