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Meet the 10 Luminary Tech Visionary Award finalists shaping the future

Luminary has sponsored the Young Achievers Awards Victoria for the 5th year, and our Luminary Tech Visionary Award has received more entries than ever before.

Claire Dunton

23 March 2026

8 minute read

Luminary has been making digital brighter for almost three decades, with our spirit of inquiry driving us forward and at the core of everything we do. This passion is not only reserved for our clients, but we also keep a keen eye on future leaders shaping the tech landscape. This year, Luminary has sponsored the Young Achievers Awards Victoria for the 5th year, and our Luminary Tech Visionary Award has received more entries than ever before. 

Each of these young luminaries has developed a product, service or program that utilises digital technology and has a positive social impact. After a difficult judging process with the Young Achievers Awards panel, 10 semi-finalists emerged. Here they are, in no particular order…

Idiom by Andrew Guo

Idiom is an AI-powered wearable companion designed for elderly Australians experiencing memory loss, dementia, or challenges with technology. It is a voice-first device, essentially a wearable “memory brain”, that allows users to have natural conversations without navigating complicated screens or interfaces.

Judge’s comments: “Idiom stands out for its people-first philosophy, recognising that for technology to truly serve elderly Victorians, it must adapt to the person, not the other way around. By removing the friction of screens and passwords, the team has created a tool that restores dignity and connection for those living with memory loss. The most impressive part of their vision is the attempt to build a helpful companion that respects the delicate balance between support and intrusion. Idiom‘s focus on ethical, voice-first interaction is a visionary response to the growing dementia crisis. It is a compassionate and sophisticated entry that treats our seniors as active participants in their own lives, rather than just patients to be monitored.”

You can learn more about Idiom here.

FinanceLife Simulation by Ishan Amaram

FinanceLife Simulation is a digital platform developed to improve financial literacy among the underprivileged youth of Australia, to combat young adults growing up without the basic knowledge of finances. 

Judge’s comments: “Ishan shows a high level of technical maturity by building a simulation that makes the invisible forces of finance, like compounding and opportunity cost, visible to young people. By grounding his models in the practical mathematics of debt and investment, he provides a safe space for underprivileged youth to see how today‘s small choices shape their future options. While the project‘s long-term success will rely on keeping these financial models updated with real-world economic shifts, his track record of shipping functional apps is a strong indicator of his capability. It is a thoughtful, proactive tool that empowers the next generation of Victorians to navigate a complex economy with foresight rather than hindsight.”

GuardianSkies by Animesh Ghimiray

GuardianSkies is an autonomous fleet of drones that offers round-the-clock bird pest control, minimising the need for manual monitoring and labour costs. 

Judge’s comments: “GuardianSkies is a standout example of practical AgTech that addresses the age-old problem of crop protection with sophisticated automation. Animesh has wisely focused on the hardware infrastructure, specifically autonomous charging, to ensure the system can actually work without a human in the loop. The platform's move toward data-driven and unpredictable deployment is a smart way to maintain its effectiveness over a full harvest. It is an impressive Victorian-born solution that successfully bridges the gap between high-end robotics and the day-to-day realities of crop growers.”

You can learn more about GuardianSkies here.

ARbility Map by Jiyun Kim

ARbility Map is an inclusive, safe, and independent navigation system across Australia for people with physical limitations. ARbility Map originated from observing the daily navigation challenges faced by people with mobility limitations and diverse accessibility needs. 

Judge’s comments: “ARbility Map is a sophisticated example of how Augmented Reality can be repurposed from a novelty into a vital tool for independence. By moving navigation off the 2D screen and into the user‘s actual line of sight, this project directly reduces the physical and cognitive strain that traditional maps impose on Victorians with disabilities. The candidate‘s technical approach shows a high level of maturity and a clear understanding of the spatial UX challenges involved. It is a visionary project that doesn't just provide directions; it provides the confidence and autonomy for every Victorian to navigate their community.”

Australian Therapy Hub by Ammar Kazi

Australian Therapy Hub (ATH) is a technology-driven digital platform created to improve how allied health and disability services are accessed, coordinated, and experienced within the NDIS. It was designed to bring clarity, fairness, and efficiency to a system that is often fragmented and difficult for families and therapists to navigate.

Judge’s comments: “Australian Therapy Hub takes a practical approach to the 'paperwork mountain' that many NDIS families in Victoria face. By moving session notes and goals out of private folders and into a shared digital portal, they are providing a level of transparency that is often missing in the sector. It is a promising attempt to use coordination software to make life a little easier for both the people giving care and the families receiving it. 

You can learn more about Australian Therapy Hub here.

Polarbear AI by Haobo Zhang

Polarbear AI is a study buddy that sits with students and learns alongside them, understanding their patterns, preferences and learning signals. 

Judge’s comments: “As someone who understands the immense pressure of high school and university, I find Polarbear AI‘s mission to level the playing field incredibly strong. Haobo has captured lightning in a bottle by creating a tool that students actually want to use, turning 'boring' curriculum into an adaptive, engaging experience. While the leap from 'viral study tool' to 'reliable educational authority' is a significant one, his focus on understanding individual learning patterns is exactly what‘s needed to support students who don't have the luxury of private tutoring. It is a bold, high-energy project that uses modern AI to solve a very old problem: making sure every child, regardless of their postcode, has a fair shot at success.”

You can learn more about Polarbear AI here.

HEYSTU by William Cerdelli 

William Cerdelli is the Founder of HEYSTU (STU), a desk companion designed to support executive function for people with ADHD. 

Judge’s comments: “What I find so refreshing about HEYSTU is that it acknowledges a hard truth: for many people with ADHD, the smartphone is the enemy of focus, not the solution. William has shown a deep empathy for the 'shame spiral' that comes with executive dysfunction, moving beyond simple checklists to provide a physical presence that offers genuine 'body doubling' support. Shipping 100 units in-house is a testament to the team's grit, and the 400 pre-orders clearly show there is a hungry market for this kind of human-centric tech. It’s a beautiful example of how tech can be used to make people feel less alone in their daily struggles, rather than just more 'productive.” 

You can learn more about HEYSTU here.

GymQuest XR by Supitcha Wawworavit

GymQuest XR is a platform designed to gamify exercise across gym and rehabilitation environments, making physical activity more engaging, motivating, and accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Instead of just completing sets or prescribed movements, users participate in quests and challenges that respond to their real-world movements in real time. 

Judge’s comments: “GymQuest XR is a compassionate response to the repetitive and often intimidating nature of physical rehabilitation. By using extended reality to turn clinical exercises into interactive games, the team is tackling the hurdle of patient adherence head-on, particularly for children. The shift from a prototype to a functional demo shows a solid technical progression. It is an inspiring initiative that uses modern technology to replace the fear of the gym with a sense of play and progress.”

Neuroverse by Kaushal Ottem

Kaushal is the founder of Neuroverse, a next-gen prototype neurotechnology with real-time biomarker insights to help people understand their brain. At the age of 10, Kaushal was involved in a severe bus accident that left him bedridden for 3.5 years with a fracture to the pelvis, hips and lower spine, requiring extensive rehabilitation and surgery. 

Judge’s comments: “Kaushal has turned a profound personal tragedy into a visionary leap for neurological care in Victoria. Neuroverse moves beyond the traditional wait-and-see approach of rehabilitation by providing clinicians and patients with objective, real-time data on how the brain and muscles are actually healing. By democratising access to EEG and EMG technology, tools usually restricted to expensive labs, Kaushal is empowering patients with visible proof of their progress. Early support from the University of Melbourne and Startmate highlights the immense potential of this project. It is a world-class example of deep tech used to restore hope and clarity to the long road of recovery.”

ChargeNextDoor by Saad Taslaq

ChargeNextDoor is a peer-to-peer electric vehicle charging platform that allows EV owners to access nearby private chargers hosted by local residents. 

Judge’s comments: “What really struck me about ChargeNextDoor is how it turns a neighbour‘s driveway into a solution for one of our biggest hurdles: EV range anxiety. It‘s a brilliant, common-sense use of the infrastructure we already have, and I love that the team has spent so much time actually talking to hosts to understand their hesitations. It shows a real maturity to build a product around human trust rather than just code. It‘s a clever, community-minded way to help more Australians feel confident switching to electric.” 

You can learn more about ChargeNextDoor here.


The winner of the Luminary Tech Visionary Award will be selected at the Gala Dinner on Friday 1 May, but until then, stay tuned as we learn more about the semi-finalists soon on the Luminary blog.

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