RESTART’25 HACKATHON

RESTART 5.5.2. (2025) 24 hours Hackathon, or what it can do when making AI prototypes.

The first Barré RESTART event, held with the goal of establishing tradition, is an innovation-based in-house competition where employees of Barré Technologies Zrt. provided a working software solution to a real business problem within 24 hours. (You can read more about the building engineering heat energy demand in the downloadable document.) The challenge was exciting and intense, yet achievable: without technological restrictions, teams were free to choose their own tools. The use of AI-powered large language models (LLMs) was not only permitted but highly encouraged.

Teams of three could participate, and the competition tested not only their professional knowledge but also their creativity and perseverance.

The four competing teams worked during a demanding 24-hour developer sprint at the Barré office. Each team member arrived with a laptop and sleeping gear, while the organizers provided full catering, server infrastructure, and technical support. No one actually unrolled their sleeping bags; some fell asleep on the couch, but the majority worked throughout the entire 24 hours, after a regular workday.

The submitted solutions were evaluated by a professional jury based on pre-established criteria. (Further details about the scoring can be found in the downloadable documents.) The top three teams were rewarded for their outstanding performance. The winning team was ‘KABARRÉ,’ led by Botond Hegedűs (the winning submission is available through the link in the downloadable document). Second place went to the clever ‘A kedvenc csapatom,’ led by Bence Mihály Fazekas, and ‘Pinky and the Brain’ secured third place under the direction of József Malyik.

Restart 2025 provided many lessons. Currently, AI does not replace software development professionals but rather complements them. AI-based ‘code-first’ documentation tends to produce more quantity than quality. AI can make serious mistakes in architectural decisions, leading to development dead-ends and the need to start over from scratch. Teams affected by such mistakes were placed at a significant disadvantage.

The 2025 event’s technical partner was IBM, whose inspiring technological solutions and expert presence elevated the event’s professional level. The teams successfully utilized IBM Watsonx AI capabilities as well.

If you have a business problem that you’d like to see solved with a working product within one day, or if you work with rapid prototyping or are simply an advocate of fast, results-driven innovation, we invite you to join our sponsors! Support the 2026 RESTART hackathon event—whether through technological tools, professional mentorship, or prizes. We look forward to your application. For sponsorship packages, please contact us via the details at https://www.barre.hu/kapcsolat/.