Congratulations on Our Year 11 Brightonian on winning the National Second Prize at SV.Startup 2026
From an idea inspired by everyday challenges to a nationally recognised innovation, Year 11 pupil Hoài An has achieved an incredible milestone by winning Second Prize at SV.Startup – The 8th National Startup Day for Students, hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
An was awarded the National Second Prize for the project “Sleep Care – Smart Sleeping Pillow” in the Healthcare, Wellness & Lifestyle category.
His journey began with a simple but meaningful observation: today, more and more people, especially students and office workers, struggle with insomnia, stress, and poor sleep quality. Wanting to create a solution that could genuinely improve people’s well-being, Hoài An and the team developed “Sleep Care,” a smart pillow integrated with IoT technology and sensors capable of monitoring sleep patterns, analysing data, and providing personalised recommendations to help users build healthier sleeping habits.
Behind the innovation was a journey filled with determination, teamwork, and resilience. One of the biggest challenges the team faced was gathering sufficient high-quality data to train and optimise the AI system so it could provide accurate and meaningful insights. Alongside the technical demands, preparing a compelling presentation within a limited timeframe pushed the entire team to grow both creatively and professionally.
Reflecting on the moment the award was announced, Hoài An shared feelings of immense happiness, pride, and emotion, describing the recognition as a meaningful reward for all the hard work and passion invested throughout the journey.
He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the organisers, teachers, mentors, teammates, and family members who provided unwavering support along the way. In particular, Hoài An shared special thanks to an older sister whose constant encouragement became a source of strength during difficult moments.
This remarkable achievement reflects not only innovation and creativity but also the compassion and determination of young people striving to create positive change for society. Congratulations to Hoài An on this inspiring accomplishment. We cannot wait to see where this journey leads next!
