Youth 4 Sustainability Announces Out-of-Labs Winners Led By CareCircle

Youth 4 Sustainability announced CareCircle as the overall winner of its latest Out-of-Labs pitch competition, highlighting growing interest in AI-driven sustainability ventures. The Masdar-led initiative selected CareCircle for an AI assistant that supports nurses through real-time documentation, task coordination, and automated shift reporting.

Al Fali secured second place with a smart irrigation system that uses live monitoring, leak detection, and remote irrigation control to reduce water use. Third place went to AgriLink, which created a digital trust and finance platform helping smallholder farmers secure credit using verified community-backed data.

Out-of-Labs is the Youth 4 Sustainability innovation track that links young talent, academic researchers, and startups around applied AI. The platform is structured to move projects from initial ideas through validation, prototyping, and business model design, before ending with a public showcase.

The competition phase concluded with a live pitch session during the Youth 4 Sustainability Forum and Hub at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. This format allowed finalists to present AI-enabled solutions for technology and sustainability challenges to an audience of industry, policy, and academic stakeholders.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director of Brand & Strategic Initiatives at Masdar, said: "Out-of-Labs brings youth-driven solutions to the forefront, showcasing ideas designed to create real change for communities across the world. The level of creativity on display from this year’s participants was outstanding and congratulations to the winners, CareCircle, for their innovative health-tech solution."

Other Out-of-Labs finalists reflected the wide sector coverage within Youth 4 Sustainability activities. AS42 proposed a data centre cooling system based on PCM–algae technology to cut energy demand and emissions. HSG presented a water-efficient hydroponic design with gravity simulation for farming in dry regions and space-related research.

Makina AI entered a predictive maintenance platform that turns complex machine data into operational insights, supporting lower downtime in manufacturing. ReteIntel focused on the built environment with an AI platform that manages HVAC performance, anticipates maintenance needs, and raises building energy efficiency.

The Youth 4 Sustainability Forum, hosted by Masdar and supported by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy as Principal Partner, is structured to inspire and train future sustainability leaders. The programme places young participants at the centre of long-term, low-carbon economic growth strategies.

Youth 4 Sustainability has operated as a leadership and talent platform since 2018, engaging more than 46,800 young people. Over 880 members from more than 30 nationalities have graduated, including 120 graduates in 2025, underlining ongoing regional and global interest in sustainability-focused skills.

With inputs from WAM