Sustainability

Manchester based trio Daniel Aju (18), Harris Asif (18) and Nahom Ghirmay (18) of team Sanoband won first place in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 20205 competition, in the 16-18 age category.

Their winning idea was a device that aims to help individuals with alcohol addiction by detecting cravings early, preventing relapse and supporting long-term recovery.

The concept was inspired by one of the team who had experienced loss associated with addiction, and wanted to find a solution that would help those suffering with addiction to find the help and support they need.

Nahom spoke about his experience on the programme:

"Winning Solve for Tomorrow was an unforgettable experience, but what truly stands out is everything we learned along the way — from the invaluable guidance of expert mentors to mastering the art of pitching to investors."

The team were thrilled to win this year’s competition, but this was not their first time entering – they had submitted an application to Solve for Tomorrow in 2024 with a different idea but didn’t make it through to shortlisting.

All three members of Team SanoBand have recently completed their A-Levels, juggling Solve for Tomorrow workshops and pitch practice alongside their studies, and now plan to go on to university in September. Harris and Nahom are both looking to study Computer Science, and Daniel will study Aerospace, but they plan to continue working on SanoBand over the summer and throughout their time at university.

SanoBand were mentored by Samsung colleague Rishi Malhotra – Head of Retail & Contact Centre Activation, MX Retail.

“Sanoband were an absolute pleasure to mentor throughout the Solve for Tomorrow programme. Every (mentoring) session consisted of high energy & passion from the team along with incredible ideas and creativity. I’ve gained a wealth of experience in providing constructive feedback and how to support navigating challenges where solutions may feel hard to come by. An overall great experience I feel proud and thankful to be a part of.”

As well as the £10,000 cash prize and Samsung tech bundles, the team won 3 additional months of expert mentoring, and additional workshops led by Foundervine, to help them progress their idea.

More details on how to enter the next Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition will be announced later this year.