Over six days, starting on Wrocław became the unlikely crossroads of space technology and water management. From Friday to Sunday, 100 participants gathered at the Student Culture Zone of Wrocław University of Science and Technology for 46 hours of intense, focused, and genuinely inspiring work.
Nineteen interdisciplinary teams tackled complex water-related case studies prepared by MPWiK, drawing on satellite data and guided by industry experts throughout the event. The 11th CASSINI Hackathon, organized by ARAW, Startup Wrocław, and Challenge Rocket, brought together people of all ages and backgrounds with one shared goal: to innovate where it matters most.
Photo Credit: Marek Ksiezarek (ARAW)
CRAFT Lab on the Ground
At CRAFT Lab, we show up wherever bold ideas, responsibility, and the future converge, and this was exactly that kind of event. We are proud to have supported these teams from day one. Dr. Olga Voropai joined as a mentor, while Dr. Yash Chawla served on the jury, giving us a front-row seat to the pivots, the pressure, and the high-stakes final presentations.
Local Podium Results
The Wrocław finals on Sunday (26.04.2026) crowned three standout teams:
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Viadrus AI
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PSI Patrol
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Truskaweczki
Photo Credit: Marek Ksiezarek (ARAW)
History Made in Europe
But the story didn’t stop there. On Wednesday evening, in the grand European final held against winning teams from 9 other countries, something unprecedented happened: for the first time in the history of CASSINI Hackathons, powered by EUSPA – EU Agency for the Space Programme, a Polish team took first place in Europe. Viadrus AI did it. 🏆🇵🇱
What makes this victory even more remarkable? The team — Marcin Derewońko, Michał Krupka, Leszek Michalak, Adrian Kulik, Maksymilian Krawczak, Katarzyna Kapusta, and Bartosz Tyński — met online, gathered in person just one hour before the hackathon kicked off, and then built a solution that captured the judges’ hearts. First time on the podium, and they went straight for gold.
Photo Credit: Marek Ksiezarek (ARAW)
A special thank you goes to MPWiK S.A. and Przemysław Chrobot for the case studies, for being present throughout, and for helping guide the team to victory. On the final stretch, the team’s preparations were also supported by Stanislaw Rogozinski from 24Ventures and our lab’s head – Dr. Yash Chawla. Also, great thanks goes to Paulina Muszyńska, and Maciej Jacenik from Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency (ARAW), and Tomasz Florczak and Aleksandra Kadłubowska from ChallengeRocket.com, for all the organization, support and making everything happen.
Huge congratulations to Viadrus AI and all the participants who showed that the intersection of science and creativity truly has no limits. It’s been a wild, rewarding journey, and we couldn’t be prouder to have been part of it.