Click

Problem: We want to fix how learning feels: boring formats and passive lessons don’t help young people face real-world challenges. Starting a job is scary — especially when most 16–24-year-olds have little to no experience. Schools often separate business from sustainability instead of showing how they work together. Young people care about the planet but lack the tools to act. We’re here to change that — with engaging, practical learning that builds confidence and real skills.

Solution: With sproutUP, young people start as interns and grow into impact leaders. They solve real-world sustainability challenges in a safe, gamified environment — where AI-powered characters act as coworkers, mentors, and collaborators. They learn entrepreneurship by doing, not just reading, while exploring who they might become: a founder, strategist, or innovator. It’s character.ai meets MS Teams — plus a learning hub to go deeper when needed.

Impact: sproutUP nurtures a mindset shift in how young people see work, purpose, and the planet. It sparks confidence, curiosity, and climate awareness, helping players connect personal values to career paths. In education, it brings systems thinking and reflection into learning. For business, it seeds a future workforce that understands impact and innovation. Long-term, it grows changemakers who see sustainability not as an option—but as the default.

Feasibility & financials: sproutUP is feasible up to 12 months. We handle UX, UI, content, and testing; dev partners build the app using React (frontend) and Node.js or Python (backend), with Inworld AI for character dialogue. Est. cost: €15–20k. Revenue: B2B/educational licensing (custom missions, LMS integration, analytics). Companies can sponsor branded challenges, turning learning into real-world, purpose-driven play

What is new about your solution?: Inworld AI in a fresh context—sustainability learning and early career discovery. It powers realistic, chat-based characters that guide players through challenges and reflections. The result? A learning platform that feels more like a social app than schoolwork—so engaging, it makes you forget Netflix is just a tab away.

What you have built at the hackathon - text explanation + code (e.g. GitHub link): Pitch: https://www.figma.com/deck/CDLz9AaI42dUgbjPc8v6Dy/sproutUP-pitch-deck?node-id=1-410&t=Cg6uguu16Azz8V4m-1 Clickable prototype: https://www.figma.com/proto/ToNGobHC9nkYRqEZmWfeGt/sproutUP?node-id=31-5718&t=MIh8rtr3dJs6ZwXx-1&scaling=min-zoom&content-scaling=fixed&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=31%3A5718

What you had before the hackathon, please mention open source as well: When we showed up at the hackathon, we didn’t have a ready-made idea or any clear plan — just an open mind, curiosity, and a lot of positive energy. We came hoping to learn, connect, and see where our creativity could take us.

What comes next and what you wish to achieve: sproutUP is just the beginning. Next, we’ll grow it into a full platform with branching career paths — whether users want to become a startup founder or climb the corporate ladder. We’ll add branded missions from real companies, offer mentorship opportunities with sustainability leaders, and maybe even create a space for employers to run onboarding through the simulation. It’s not just a game — it’s a gateway to real-world impact.