A hackathon win is great. Watching the idea evolve afterwards is better.
the brief.
The Battle of the Tech Schools 2025, organised by WBS Coding School, brought together students from leading tech schools across Europe to prototype and pitch digital solutions to real-world challenges. The brief, Kiez Connect: Economic Opportunity for Berlin's Newcomers, asked teams to help newcomers find opportunities, navigate the startup scene and feel they belong in the city's economy. Solutions had to be backed by data analysis and show the use of AI tools. Teams worked remotely from 20 to 23 October and pitched in the final at WBS Coding School on the 24th.
the win.
A team from 42 Berlin took first place with Kompass. Kompass is an AI-powered discovery platform for newcomers to Berlin. It helps them find local events, communities and professional opportunities that match their interests, then turns online encounters into real-life connections through shared discussions, skill swaps and community features. What made it stand out was the balance: a creative idea, real technical depth, and a shape that is useful to someone finding their way in a new city.
round two.
In February 2026 the project returned with an updated UI. Tanmay and Pashá presented the new iteration, walked through user personas and practical use cases, and took questions from Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie, the Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Soziales, Gleichstellung, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung and the Welcome Center Berlin. The panel praised the gamification, the personalisation and how immediately usable the platform feels for real newcomers.
Tanmay won again in August 2026, with Road One. And a year after Kompass, another 42 Berlin team took on the same competition with BesichtiGO.
Tanmay, Pashá and team