On 10 December at the gallery “Petroleja”, the winners of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) competition “Ideju kauss 2025” were announced. The main prize – €10,000 for idea development – was awarded to Aivars Vembris and Arturs Bundulis from the Latvian deep-tech startup “AP4PIC” for photonic polymer microchips to replace electrical microchips in data centres. This year’s winner offers a solution to one of the world’s fastest-growing challenges – the enormous electricity consumption of data centres.
A share of the electrical microchips used in data centres can be replaced with photonic microchips. Such replacement is becoming necessary because the use of artificial intelligence is driving up energy consumption in data centres. The solution of the Polymer Photonics Platform, developed by Aivars Vembris, is to make microchips from polymers, which would significantly reduce manufacturing costs. Several microchips have already been tested in the laboratory.
“This will be a very important step towards being able to manufacture chips in Latvia. It requires investment and funding, but things are moving forward step by step – as soon as we unlock the first part of the production process, we can start cooperating with industry and go further. This will be the first step that will most likely allow us to demonstrate something that attracts even larger investments,” say this year’s “Ideju kauss” winners from the startup “AP4PIC”.
“This year we saw very interesting ideas in many sectors, strongly linked to the use of artificial intelligence. A good idea starts with a willingness to share it and the motivation to make it happen. However, a good idea alone is not enough – it has to be one that is likely to change the world: bring order, make people’s lives easier, create joy, and in any case it has to be financially viable. This year we saw very innovative, technology-based ideas. I wish their authors not to lose motivation and to keep going!” emphasises LIAA Director Ieva Jāgere.
2nd place and a €7,000 prize were awarded by the competition jury to Dāvis Vītols for BLSH Technology – an ergonomic hand-control device for cars for people with disabilities – leg function impairments and/or spinal cord injuries. The device’s innovative swing-type handle allows the user to safely lock the brakes with a light movement, without a strong grip or button use, making it particularly suitable for users with limited hand function.
3rd place and €5,000 went to Karlīna Kitija Dommere for EcoCone, an innovative and sustainable solution for the protection of young forests. It combines two functions in one: it protects seedlings from overgrowth and damage caused by forest animals, while at the same time providing favourable growing conditions. The cone and its base are made of biodegradable materials that decompose within 2–4 years, enriching the soil with minerals and leaving no waste.
A €3,000 development prize was awarded by the jury to:
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a biotechnological protection system against sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy,
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BookGenie – a specialised tool for large-scale book creation, and
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Pregnancy Track – a monitoring system for pregnant women and newborns.
Meanwhile, €1,500 development grants were awarded to:
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ClassReflect, an AI tool for improving teachers’ professional skills,
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Video2docs, a product documentation writing solution for programmers,
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SIA E.T. & TEAM solar panel system protection solution,
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Bryowall, an innovative vertical wall with a live moss cover that simultaneously reduces air and noise pollution in cities, and
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CHIBA CHUPS – snacks that help children intake vitamin D and contain no sugar.
In addition to the competition funding, participants also received special prizes from partners. For the first year, “Swedbank” joined the partner network, awarding participation in its Marketing Academy to three finalists – “BLSH Technology”, “ClassReflect” and “Blum“. The company “Helve” granted a mentoring consultation and support to the startup “Paws Peace”. The “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” programme prize – a certificate for participation in a maximum-length cooperation and learning visit to an experienced mentor in Europe – went to the platform “Rootmates”, while the LIAA innovation portal “Labs Of Latvia” sympathy prize – a publicity article – was awarded to the startup “BookGenie”.
“Ideju kauss” this year took place for the 17th time under the slogan “Roc dziļāk – izcel ideju!” (“Dig deeper – bring out the idea!”). At the awards ceremony, 12 idea authors were honoured, and 6 special sympathy prizes from partners were presented. In total, 355 ideas were submitted to the competition this year in sectors such as information and communication technologies, services, smart materials, technologies and engineering systems, entertainment, leisure, arts, education and many others. The event was enriched by a performance from the musical group “Zvīņas” and the award ceremony hosts – Latvian Radio podcast “Noliktava” hosts Uldis Ziediņš, Elīna Geida and Jānis Kronis, and moderator DJ Jānis Kozlovskis.
Photo gallery Ideju Kauss 2025 – apbalvošana
About the competition
“Ideju kauss” is implemented within the LIAA project “Development of Innovative Entrepreneurship of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Union.
About LIAA
LIAA promotes the competitiveness of Latvian entrepreneurs, export growth and investment attraction, as well as develops the tourism sector and implements Latvia’s national image policy. The Agency acts as the state’s partner in business development – from idea to international markets. With an extensive network of representations abroad and regional business centres in Latvia, LIAA helps companies grow and positions Latvia as a safe, innovative and open country in the global economy.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
Translated using ChatGPT
