The event started on Friday with idea pitching and formation of teams. Team building is actually one of the best experiences of this event. In the words of C.E.O & founder of BuildIT Accelerator Aleksander Tõnnisson, “People can find their teammates at hackathons and reality shows that many of these teams are going to stay together.” Sven Illing, investment advisor at BuiltIT, added that the keywords are competence and internal fire, “You come here, present your idea for a couple hundred people who are here because they want to do something and are looking for their output. They listen to your project and something lights up inside them, this is the key to success.”

Of the 40 ideas pitched on Friday, 20 gathered a team and started working on their devices. (Meet the teams here: http://garage48.org/blog/all-the-20-teams-of-garage48-hardware-art-2016)  

The event was once again organized in co-operation with the Estonian National Defense College. They were actively participating with their very own projects: InfusionWarmer, False Radio Network, Smart Ramp and WulfCount. 

The teams were guided by our talented mentors: Jaanus Kalde (Krakul), Jaan Kruusma (7Blaze), Elise Sass (Microsoft), Martin Melioranski (Estonian Academy of Arts), Kärt Ojavee (KO!), Lauri Hirvesaar (Cleveron), Siim Lepisk (Prototron), Martin Terav (Eccom), Andreas Annama (Eccom), Pirko Konsa (Arengufond), Sten Allik (KVÜÕA), Indrek Narusk (Viks/CrabCad), Aleksei Solovjov (Rohde&Schwarz), Vahur Afanasjev (Hitafly), Marcin Borecki (Microsoft/CloudExpert), Villu Teearu (Elisa), Raido Kalbre (Elisa), Indrek Rebane (Hedgehog), Priit Salumaa (Mooncascade) and Alvo Aabloo (Tartu Ülikool). A big thanks to the mentors! 

Mentor and jury member Villu Teearu, Sales and Customer Area Manager at Elisa Eesti AS, noted, “The teams were technically very strong. Everybody knew what they were doing and how to do it. Their issues were specific details. They work as a team for a common goal and they’re really efficient at it!” Mentor and member of last year’s winner Hitafly, Vahur Afanasjev appreciated teamwork most of all, “There were teams where the roles were divided better than in others, but it was very positive that were no teams where the lead tries to execute the project alone. In today’s world there is no place for lone wolf inventors, as the innovations are becoming more and more complex. Making something new and useful in technology requires a mutual effort. That is the lesson that Garage48 gives us.” 

The opening words were given by the head of the National Cyber Security Policy Section at Latvia's defence ministry and the First Lady of Estonia Ieva Ilves, who expressed her pride in the young people of Latvia and Estonia working together. The 19 prototypes that were delivered on the stage made a real impression on her and she was very thrilled to witness them.

The teams were assessed by our wonderful jury members: Priit Salumaa (Garage48, Mooncascade), prof. Alvo Aabloo (Tartu University), Indrek Rebane (Hedgehog), Sten Allik (Estonian National Defence College), Villu Teearu (Elisa), Toomas Tammis (Estonian Academy of Arts), Pirko Konsa (Estonian Development Fund), Elise Sass (Microsoft) and Ieva Ilves (Ministry of Defence of Latvia).  

They assessed 5 criteria – presentation, idea, execution, marketing and potential – coming to the following conclusion: 

Overall winner + Best design: Genosity

Prizes: a bag full of practical equipment for survival in the Estonian climate from the Estonian National Defense College + paid private hackathon + Prototron Top 20 and a 3-day accelerator program + goodie bag + artwork/designs from the Estonian Academy of Arts. 

Genosity is a gene testing machine that anyone can use anywhere. Our first target market is school system, because studies today have very much theory and very little practice. Using our system, every student can learn about their own genes in biology class.  

Team members: Ken Veski - team lead, Priit Kaup - electronics, Indrek Keskküla - electronics, Kaisa Lindström - machine design, Maarja-Liis Raamat - machine design, Piret Puppart - visuals design, Ranno Päi - visuals design, Aleksandra Varnaeva - visuals design, Jasper August Tootsi - web design, Jelena Kotivnenko 

Award presenters praised the team unanimously: Sten Allik noted, “The winner is equally good in all categories.” Villu Teearu added, “A great team, big potential, great idea, nice design.” Siim Lepisk said “The team is great, they are dedicated and really interested in moving forward. They really want to do it.”

Runner Up: M-Sap

Prizes: 5 tickets to Latitude59 + HUB membership + goodie bag 

Affordable music visualizer for individual performers and small bands.  

Team members: Egert Loss - team lead & electronics, Mikk Müraus - electronics, Mark Kerner - web app, Ģirts Užāns - web app, Tiia Päkk - design & marketing, Merilin Tõnisoja - design & hardware, Priit Pedastsaar - website & logistics, Paul Vahur - project management & marketing 

Ieva Ilves, Estonia’s First Lady and cybersecurity specialist in the Ministry of Defense in Latvia noted: “Something that puts art and innovation together & a really fun team with potential.” 

First Runner Up + Estonian National Defense College special prize 

for best defense related project + Prototron special award: False Radio Network

Prizes: Top 40 @ Prototron + goodie bag + a shooting session for whole team in the firing range of the Defense College 

False Radio Network is device that is able to replay recorded radio signals in a way that those signals sound and seem authentic military radio signals. That project aims to deceive enemy radio reconnaissance units. 

Team members: Veiko Dieves - team leader, Erik Ilbis - radio engineer, Dmitrijs Čulkovs - radio engineer, Jaanus Kalda - radio engineer, Kalle-Kustav Kruus - radio engineer. 

“They succeeded in solving a technically complicated problem, their device is actually usable. I even got a call from a member of the board of Prototron who really wants to meet them,” noted Siim Lepisk (CEO @ Prototron & Business Mentor @ The Founder Institute).

Microsoft special prize + Best Technology prize: Teasla Model T

Special prizes: 

Inspiration prize: Jasper August Tootsi

Prize: One-year subscription to technology magazine Inseneeria 

Jasper August Tootsi is a high-school student who had to go through hoops to participate in the hackathon.

Favorite of Audience – Garage48 Hardware & Arts 2016 edition: Track My Ride

Prize: a bag of goodies. 

Track My Ride is a great tool for logging information about car usage. Track your car mileage, fuel usage and drivers' history. 

Team members: Kārlis Babris - server programmer, Ervīns Patmalnieks - electronics, Guntis Šusts - server programmer, Zintis Mazdrēvics - frontend developer, Lelde Bērziņa - designer, Kristaps Skutelis - marketing, Pāvels Reško - server programmer. 

Garage48 HUB special prize: Wulfcount

Prize: 2 desks for 2 months in the Garage48 HUB) 

Wulfcount is device that counts how many bullets there are left in your cartridge magazine and displays the number on a screen.

Team members: Joosep Parts (Estonia) – original idea, Anette Sepp (Estonia), Fridtjof Wesseltoft (Norway), Timo Anso (Estonia), Uldis Kalējs (Latvia), Ulf Anso (Estonia), Uvis Lapsiņš (Latvia), Vahur Poolak (Estonia) 

Siim Lepisk (CEO @ Prototron & Business Mentor @ The Founder Institute) invites Wulfcount to participate in Prototron as well. He sees a real need for the product in the market and we could really help them with their next prototype, both moneywise and businesswise.

Best marketing: Eye-Shirt

Prize: World map + exclusive mentoring & brainstorming session with Mooncascade co-founder & sales wizard Karen K. Burns. 

LED shirt controllable by smartphone. 

Team members: Kristjan Järvan - team manager, Tiit Rätsep - electronic engineer, Ronald Tammepõld - developer, Arya Sohrabizadeh - ux/ui, Egija Gailuma - marketing, Janis Sauss - marketing, Andreas Krigoltoi – design.

Garage 48 Hardware & Arts 2016 is over. Prizes were granted, experience gained, teams formed and fun had. It was an incredible event, a big thanks to the organizers and volunteers. The DigiLab guys from University of Tartu, who were in charge of the whole equipment meca: Teet Tilk, Renno Rehtla, Lauri Mihkels, Artur Abels, Alo Peets ja Karl Oskar Lember. Our wonderful and unstoppable volunteers: Kristel Kont, Mare Sabolotny, Aija Auziņa, Kaido Kruusamets, Marie Jaksman, Marianne Kosenkranius, Anni-Brit Remmelg, Sunjai Nakshatharan and Iiris Lüsi. You rock! Some thanks to ourselves as well: Priit Salumaa, Indrek Rebane, Alvo Aabloo, Anu Piirisild, Triin Liiv, Mariana Raudsepp and Kai Isand. Special thanks to our über-talented photographer Maido Parv! Merci!

Also, a very-very special thanks to our sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place: Estonian Academy of Arts, University of Tartu, Estonian National Defence College, Microsoft, Elisa, Hedgehog, Eccom, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Mooncascade, Mass Portal, Milrem, Estonian Development Fund, Startup Estonia, EU Regional Development Fund, City of Tartu, Rohde & Schwarz, Skeleton Technologies and  Estonian Gambling Tax Council.

Ending with the words of an anonymous participant leaving the site: “I love the area I work in!”