Startup News 2025: Lessons and Winners from Lovable and Project Europe Hackathon
The year 2025 is off to an exhilarating start in the startup ecosystem with Lovable and Project Europe revealing the winners of their whirlwind hackathon, an event brimming with talent, innovation, and lessons for entrepreneurs worldwide. This high-speed, 20-hour hackathon, held in Stockholm, Sweden, brought together 20 teams to create AI-driven solutions and redefine the boundaries of startup potential.
Let’s dive into what made this event a landmark for startups, the winning projects, and the incredible tools you need to know for growing your venture.
Key Highlights of the Hackathon
Event Overview
Event Name: "Project Lovable" Hackathon
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Organizers: Lovable (an AI unicorn based in Sweden) collaborated with Project Europe, supported by 20VC and Creandum.
Format
20 teams competed in an intense 20-hour sprint, developing prototypes ranging from generative AI tools to hydrogen mapping platforms.
Winners
Team GoodOmen
Prize: €20,000
Winning Projects:
Video-Generation Platform: Automates video creation for businesses.
AI Journalism Tool: Generates articles from interviews, purchased immediately by Stockholm-based Impact Loop.
Top Lessons and Benefits for Entrepreneurs
The Project Lovable hackathon offers key takeaways and tools for startup founders aiming to excel in 2025:
1. Prioritize AI for Productivity
Both winning projects demonstrated the massive potential of AI in streamlining processes. Whether it’s content creation or automating repetitive tasks, AI is set to be a cornerstone for startups developing products in 2025.
2. Speed Fuels Innovation
With just 20 hours to create impactful solutions, teams proved that rapid prototyping with clear focus and collaboration can yield groundbreaking ideas.
3. Leverage AI-Powered Tools
One standout resource is the F/MS AI Grant Finder and Application Writer, ideal for startups looking to secure EU grants. With this tool, you can instantly search for compatible funding options and draft grant applications in minutes. Explore this AI-driven solution for funding success at EU Funding Grants for Startups.
Winning Projects of 2025
Here’s a list of projects, including those celebrated at the hackathon, that are reshaping the startup landscape:
1. PlayPal – Your AI Co-Founder
Founder: Violetta Bonenkamp
PlayPal is a conversational AI co-founder that helps startup founders navigate challenges, validate ideas, and stay on track. Discover more about PlayPal AI Friend and how it can revolutionize your entrepreneurial journey.
2. GoodOmen's AI Journalism Tool
Built in 20 hours, this generative AI leverages interviews to generate insightful articles. Already commercialized, it serves as an example of rapid innovation.
3. Hydrogen Mapping App
Developed by a Swedish teenager, this platform compares hydrogen plant data in real time, showcasing young talent and the role of environmental tech.
4. F/MS AI Startup Lawyer
This platform ensures startups avoid costly legal pitfalls with AI-driven contract analysis. Learn more about it at Fe/male Switch AI Startup Lawyer.
How to Get Started with Hackathons
If you’re new to hackathons or want to ensure your team dominates the next competition, follow these steps:
Step-by-Step Guide
Build a Strong Team: Include diverse perspectives and skill sets to address multiple angles of your project.
Leverage AI Productivity Tools: Use resources like PlayPal for ideation and grant-writing tools for funding support.
Focus on Scalability: Design solutions that can grow and appeal to broader markets.
Test and Iterate Rapidly: Use the 20-hour format as a guide to focus, prototype, and test ideas.
Most Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overcomplicated Ideas: Stay laser-focused on one problem and its solution.
Ignoring Team Dynamics: Ensure all members are aligned and working collaboratively.
Skipping Validation: Present prototypes to judges/customers for immediate feedback.
Deep Insights into Rising Startup Support
Europe continues to emerge as a hotbed for startup innovation, with initiatives like Project Europe aiming to uncover the next $100 billion unicorn companies. Here’s what’s driving their success:
Collaborative Ecosystems: Partnerships between accelerators, VCs, and tech unicorns.
Youth Inclusion: Encouraging next-gen entrepreneurs, including teenagers like the Swedish hydrogen mapping app developer.
AI Integration: Mandating AI-centric tools like generative solutions to stay competitive.
Discover PlayPal – Your AI Co-Founder
When building in fast-paced environments like hackathons or developing your startup, PlayPal can become an invaluable ally. Created by Violetta Bonenkamp, this AI co-founder remembers your preferences and progress, giving tailored feedback, advice, and SOPs for each startup milestone.
Learn more about PlayPal’s features and capabilities at PlayPal AI Friend and start leveraging its power today.
Conclusion
The whirlwind hackathon organized by Lovable and Project Europe highlights how speed, collaboration, and AI can create remarkable opportunities for startups. Tools like F/MS AI Grant Finder and PlayPal are indispensable for founders looking to emulate this success and navigate startup challenges in 2025.
Whether you’re competing in a hackathon, securing funding, or building the next unicorn, the startup ecosystem is richer than ever with resources to help you reach your goals. Explore these tools, and start growing your startup today!
Pro Tip: If you’re thinking of settling your startup abroad, Malta offers a Startup Residence Program, perfect for founders seeking a gateway to Europe. Watch insights from Malta Enterprise CEO Brian Camilleri in this Startup Visa in Malta Interview.
Stay tuned for more startup news and lessons from innovators shaping the future of entrepreneurship. 🚀
FAQ
1. What is "Project Lovable" Hackathon?
Project Lovable is a 20-hour hackathon organized by Lovable, an AI unicorn in Sweden, in collaboration with Project Europe, an accelerator focused on identifying the next $100 billion startups. Read more about Project Lovable hackathon
2. Where was the 2025 hackathon held?
The event took place in Stockholm, Sweden, and brought together 20 teams to develop innovative AI-driven solutions under high-pressure conditions.
4. What were the projects developed by Team GoodOmen?
Team GoodOmen developed two AI-driven solutions:
A video-generation platform that automates content creation for businesses.
An AI journalism tool capable of writing articles based on interviews, which was purchased by Impact Loop, a publication in Stockholm.
5. How did the AI journalism tool by GoodOmen achieve commercialization so quickly?
The AI journalism tool was purchased on the spot during the hackathon for €20,000 by Impact Loop, highlighting the demand for AI-driven productivity tools in journalism. Learn more about the journalism tool
6. What were some other notable projects from the event?
Other standout projects included:
A hydrogen plant mapping app developed by a 15-year-old from Sweden.
A real-time annotation app for smart glasses data designed by an international team.
7. What are the key lessons from the hackathon for entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs can learn from the event to:
Prioritize AI for productivity.
Focus on collaboration and rapid prototyping under tight deadlines.
Leverage tools like PlayPal and F/MS AI Grant Finder to streamline processes. Discover PlayPal AI Friend
8. What tools can startups leverage for AI-based funding search and legal support?
F/MS AI Startup Lawyer: Provides AI-driven contract analysis to avoid legal pitfalls.
9. What role did youth play in the hackathon?
The hackathon emphasized engaging young talent, with highlights including a 15-year-old participant's hydrogen mapping app. This reflects the growing involvement of youth in high-impact initiatives and environmental tech solutions.
10. What is PlayPal, and how can it assist startup founders?
PlayPal is an AI co-founder tool created by Violetta Bonenkamp that helps startup founders navigate challenges, validate ideas, and stay on track. It offers feedback tailored to your entrepreneurial journey. Learn more about PlayPal AI Friend
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.