An underwater drone capable of covering long distances, a device that detects and destroys radio frequency jammers, a system to combat drones, a weapon aiming device that significantly increases operator safety - these and other inventions won awards and attracted the attention of investors at the cyber defense and security innovation hackathon "Fire Shield 2024" held over the weekend.
The second hackathon "Fire Shield 2024" organized by the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union together with Tech-Park Kaunas exceeded the organizers' expectations - three times more participants gathered to create smart technologies than last year, 40 teams of inventors gathered from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Canada.
Great support was also received from the international defense innovation pre-accelerator NATO DIANA – its director Kadri Tammai participated in the hackathon expert discussions.
On the third day of the hackathon "Fire Shield 2024", 35 innovation ideas were presented to the commission members. Four teams were announced as winners, sharing the prize fund of 45 thousand euros.
The idea was perfected at a hackathon
One of the two first places went to a joint team that came together from different teams at the hackathon "Fire Shield 2024" - Intelsight, which presented to the commission a remote small arms aiming device that significantly increases the operator's safety, environmental awareness, and precision in close combat.
"Observing the tactics of the Ukrainian freedom struggle, this device we created is more relevant than ever. On Friday, our technology was not working as it should. On Saturday, it was working, but we didn't have a team. Members of another team wanted to join us. That's when we created a product that won the hackathon," says innovator and Lithuanian Riflemen's Union shooter Saulius Zaura.
According to him, a hackathon is like a living, unpredictable organism: you can participate without having a product yet, you can come with one team or one idea, and leave with a completely different strategy, product, and a team of like-minded people.
According to the jury members, the second main prize is for a device that detects and destroys radio frequency jammers, which uses advanced FPV drones with automatic targeting systems. This technology was presented to the hackathon by the AiDrone.Tech team, whose biggest challenge was limited time.
"The most important thing was to manage the team effectively, properly distribute tasks, and make decisions quickly without succumbing to stress. One of the significant challenges could have been the integration of technological tools or the application of new technology to the project, when there was not enough time to delve into the details," shares team representative Laurynas Česūnas.
Hackathon participants were helped by mentors from business and the Lithuanian Armed Forces to quickly solve challenges. According to L. Česūnas, their consultations allowed them to assess market needs and product positioning, and refine the product presented to the commission.
Second place in the hackathon "Fire Shield 2024" was won by the team "SUBmerge Baltic" for an underwater drone (AUV) capable of covering long distances. Third place went to a system for combating unmanned aerial vehicles designed to neutralize small and medium-sized drones. This innovation was proposed by the team "Harlequin Defense".
Attracted the attention of investors
Edvinas Kerza, the head of the investment fund Scale Wolf, praised the invention of Šaulis S. Zaura and the Intelsight team.
"The winning team created, one might say, a miracle with great enthusiasm. During the hackathon, we have the opportunity to see a lot of different products in one place. Investors also willingly participate in such events, because it is easiest to see high potential, get to know the teams, and assess their motivation," E. Kerza shares insights after the hackathon.
Two teams also won special prizes at the hackathon. Coinvest Capital, together with partners EBAN – European Business Angel Network, invited the AiDrone.Tech team directly to the final of the defense startups’ pitch to international investors in Brussels during the Defense Tech Investors Forum on October 15th, and also invited the Halas team to the Defense Innovation Challenge final in Prague on October 25th with partners Depo Ventures and Engaged Investments Conference.
“We wish the teams the best of luck in attracting the attention of specialized international co-investors and are preparing for their performance in the finals,” says Viktorija Trimbel, head of the investment fund Coinvest Capital. She invited five other startup teams that participated in the hackathon – Harpia AeroSpace, Nexus Dynamics, World CTRL, AI for Vision Tech and LumBridge – to meet with the fund’s investment committee to discuss in detail the innovations and potential investment needs after the hackathon. The total amount of potential co-investments in these seven teams amounts to EUR 5.66 million.
An additional special prize – an invitation to an artificial intelligence training course by Monika Venčkauskaitė, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Group at the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technologies, and dinner at a luxury restaurant – went to the "#HarlequinDefense" team.
A platform for those who don't know where to start
The Commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, Lt. Col. Linas Idzelis, is pleased that this year the partners from the investment funds Coinvest Capital, ScaleWolf, and Baltic Sandbox Ventures, who invest in defense innovation startups, as well as representatives of the international pre-accelerator NATO DIANA and professional officers and technology specialists who became mentors of the startups, contributed greatly to the success of the hackathon "Fire Shield 2024".
"A hackathon is just the first stop for startups. Next comes participation in a pre-accelerator, an accelerator, and the stages of attracting large investments. In the past, people would sit at home alone, not knowing where to start developing technologies, but at a hackathon, where like-minded people interested in defense innovations gather, they can immediately receive the necessary help and even chat live with investors who will guide them on what the market currently needs," says Lt. Col. Linas Idzelis, who has no doubts about the benefits of a hackathon.
He is convinced that the need for technology in the field of defense will only grow even more, because technology protects the main human resource and allows us to ensure national security more quickly and at lower costs.
According to the commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, it is also very important that Lithuanians develop technology products for both Lithuanian and foreign markets. "We see that Lithuania has huge potential, and it needs to be exploited. We want investments to remain in Lithuania, to circulate here, so that we do not have to buy elementary things from other countries. The hackathon "Fire Shield" shows that we have chosen the right path, the right direction," says Lt. Col. L. Idzelis.
Cyber missions created by Sagittarius are a tough nut to crack
The cyber defense and security innovation hackathon "Fire Shield 2024" also featured a cyber security competition "Capture the Flag" (CTF), organized for the second time by the Lizdeika Rifle Company of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.
Company Commander Mažvydas Kurys is pleased that three times more participants wanted to participate in the competition compared to last year's cyber game, because this year it was possible to compete both live and remotely. This created an opportunity for foreigners to join as well.
"Most often, such events take place remotely, and the atmosphere is completely different than competing live. When you see your competitors and their enthusiasm, you see how the participants are looking for the best solutions, how they react emotionally, the adrenaline makes you tense up," observes M. Kurys.
This time, the team from Estonia completed the "Capture the Flag" task most successfully, while the second and third places were won by teams of students and teachers from Lithuania.
However, the competition organizer revealed that no one managed to complete the five tasks, and this is a tribute to the shooters of the cybersecurity Lizdeika Company, who created the content for this game.
"These were unpublished tasks created by fifteen riflemen of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union's cybersecurity Lizdeika Company. In the future, we plan to improve the competition platform by including educational elements. Then, even if a participant solves only a third of the tasks, he would learn as much during the competition as he would have to study independently for two years," shares the ambitions of the commander of the cybersecurity rifle company.
Anyone who wishes to join similar initiatives and actively participate in the activities of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union can become a member of the union by filling out the registration form on the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union's website.
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