Kenyan team of students are have been recognized as one of the top three finalists of the prestigious Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. The students are from The African Leadership University, Machakos University, Technical University of Mombasa, and the United States International University – Africa (USIU-Africa).
The winner was announced at an event during Microsoft Build this week.
Now in its 23rd year, the Imagine Cup is a global technology competition for student founders leveraging AI to push the boundaries of innovation. Over 2 million students have participated from over 160 countries across the globe. In 2025, more than 15,000 students from 150 countries participated, with 18 semi-finalist teams finally shortlisted to just three teams.
Imagine cup student semifinalists from around the world have unlocked an advanced level of AI innovation at speed. Students are using Microsoft Azure AI tools to create inclusive apps for everything from hair texture identification to avatar sign language.
This year’s winners, Argus, from the United States, earned the top title with their AI-powered wearable assistant that helps people with visual impairments navigate and interpret the world more independently. Co-founders Daniel Kim and Arjun Oberoi met during their first year at Stanford University and connected through a shared interest in the startup ecosystem, before developing their idea for Argus. “It takes just one idea to make an impact,” says Daniel Kim. “And we believe Argus will help us make an impact on the lives of our grandparents, the hundreds of millions of others with visual impairments.”
The finalist team from Kenya, consisting of Anthony Marugu, Branice Kazira, Gheida Abdala Al Mashjery, and Daniel Phillip, created Signvrse. It is an AI-powered platform bridging communication gaps between the Deaf and hearing communities. Its tool, Terp, uses lifelike avatars to translate spoken languages into sign language, fostering inclusivity and accessibility on a global scale.
Using Azure AI Speech, Signvrse provides real-time sign language translation using hyper-realistic 3D avatars and motion capture technology. Their solution bridges the communication gap for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in education, healthcare, and employment by converting speech and text into sign language in real time.
In 2023, Kenyan team TAWI were crowned world champions for their solution addressing the communication challenges faced by children with Auditory Processing Disorder, team REWEBA won the grand prize in 2021 for creating a device to remotely conduct post-natal screenings, saving infants’ lives.
“Our hearty congratulations go to the four talented young tech entrepreneurs of the Signvrse team for achieving the impressive placement of Top Three finalists. We are tremendously proud to have yet another home-grown Kenyan team representing the African continent so ably at the Imagine Cup finals. This is a testament to the incredible innovation our African youth are producing in response to real challenges faced every day by people across the continent, and the world,” says Phyllis Migwi, Country Manager, Microsoft Kenya.
The winning team received $100,000 USD prize and a mentorship session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella. Each runner-up team received $25,000 USD.