Microsoft has announced Team PINE from Malaysia as the winner for the 2018 Microsoft Imagine Cup Asia Pacific Finals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Team PINE, along with six other teams, will now advance to the Imagine Cup World Finals to compete on a global stage this July in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Team PINE created a handheld sensing device that helps pineapple farmers determine the optimal level of ripeness before harvesting their pineapples. By using the sensing device, farmers do not have to destroy a pineapple in order to determine the ripeness. PINE hopes its device minimizes waste and increases the percentage of fruit farmers are able to bring to market.

“Imagine Cup has always strived to be the platform for students to turn their dreams into entrepreneurial realities,” said Dave Miller, Commercial Software Engineering Lead for Microsoft Asia Pacific. “Every year, we have the privilege to witness great ideas from budding innovators working hard to solve pressing challenges with smart, effective solutions. We are here to help them take their first steps towards achieving their goals, and we are excited to see how their ideas will define the future we live in.”

In total, 14 teams competed in the regional finals. They represented countries including Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal and the Philippines. The seven startups advancing to the finals include Team PINE from Malaysia, Team BeeConnex from Thailand, Team 7x from Singapore, Team Beehive Drone from Indonesia, Team Classum from Korea, Team En#22.45km from Korea and Team SochWare from Nepal.

The GIST Initiative partnered with Microsoft for the Imagine Cup Asia Pacific Finals. Through the partnership, GIST shares Microsoft’s commitment to use technology to solve the world’s toughest problems by inspiring student creativity, and empowering students to realize their visions by using new technology platforms.

A full recap of the Imagine Cup Asia Pacific Regional Finals, including a full list of winners, can be found here.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Asia