The Agents of Tech (AOT) club of Taylor's University Lakeside Campus (TULC) were thrilled to announce the return of ImagineHack for 2025. This 48-hour coding marathon brought together tech enthusiasts in teams of three to five members to collaborate and create innovative solutions to real-world challenges. The event occurred from 20th June to the 22nd of June, 2025, at TULC. This year's theme for ImagineHack was "Reimagine Malaysia." Project manager Phoon Chun On emphasised that the aim was to make the event more specific and relatable to Malaysians. The event featured a series of mentorships from top-tier industry professionals, peer-to-peer networking opportunities, and industry exposure to notable software and technology enterprises in Malaysia, along with three full days of hackathon buzz. Additionally, hackathon participants would also have opportunities to win various cash prizes. 

With excitement filling the air, ImagineHack 2025 commenced. It featured a welcoming speech by President Wallace Tan Yi Jie and opening remarks from representatives of Hilti and Paynet. The event proceeded with anticipation when the emcees revealed the problem statements, including Digital Heritage and Tourism, Digital Integrity in the Age of Misinformation and Green Technology and Sustainable Environment. The participants needed to work on tasks to develop innovative solutions using technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), immersive technologies, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) analytics to address these problem statements. Day 1 concluded with the first Hack Session of ImagineHack 2025. Different teams decided on which one of the problem statements they wanted to work on and brainstormed their ideas.  

Day 2 commenced with a briefing from the committee members, outlining the event itinerary. Following this, eager participants looked forward to the second Hack Session. After recharging with a delicious lunch prepared by the AOT committee, an impressive lineup of mentors, including lecturers from Taylor's University and seasoned industry leaders, stepped forward to offer guidance to the participants throughout the hackathon. Their invaluable advice played a crucial role in helping various teams enhance their projects to the next level. The day continued with two additional Hack Sessions, during which participants refined their projects under the heavy pressure of a tight timeframe in preparation for the preliminary round pitching session.

The room buzzed with a mix of anxiety and excitement as participants prepared to present their ideas to the judges during the preliminary round. Each team showcased distinct approaches to the problem statements, utilising various media such as websites and applications.

Fourteen teams successfully advanced to the next stage of the competition. They had fifteen minutes to prepare for the final pitching session, where they would present their concepts to the judges again, who would ultimately determine the winner of ImagineHack 2025. While anxiously waiting for the final results, the committee organised a networking session for the participants. This opportunity allowed them to connect with tech leaders and peers, fostering discussions about coding and innovation.

As the moment for announcing the final results drew near, the atmosphere in the lecture theatre overflowed with both suspense and enthusiasm. The session commenced with the presentation of special awards for ImagineHack 2025, which included the following categories: 'Best Social Impact' awarded to BlockDee, 'Best Innovation' awarded to Quadrabyte, 'Best Technical Implementation' designated to 5MDB, and the 'Crowd Favourite', also awarded to Quadrabyte. After what had already proven to be an exceptional session, the emcees formally announced the winners of ImagineHack 2025. The designation of second runner-up was awarded to Taste of Fate, while the first runner-up was GOAT. Ultimately, the team, TT, became the champion of ImagineHack 2025.

Here is what some of the participants had to say about their projects for ImagineHack 2025:

"We planned to join ImagineHack 2025 two months ago, as we all knew that AOT was going to organise it, and we thought it would be a chance to expose ourselves to a bigger hackathon. We discovered that there had been a decline in museum visits because of a lack of innovation. Therefore, we developed a mobile web app that allows users to interact with and communicate with an augmented-reality (AR) avatar of a historical figure." - Quadrabyte (Ong Jun Hong, Loo Tan Yu Xian, Lim Yu Xuen, Tee Jun Fong)

"We noticed people in Malaysia would read biased content without realising. It may mislead people into believing things that might not be true. Therefore, we designed a news website that can detect biases and analyse comments on news reports. The website can summarise all comments, whether positive or negative, to provide an unbiased report. Initially, we were unsure about where to begin. Then, we realised that we did not think from another point of view for the problem statement. We have learnt that we should think of things from different perspectives, and that gave us the idea of our website." - TT (Cedric Chung Theng Fung, Phen Jing Xuan, Liew Qi Jian, Marcus Tan Chi Yau).

The event concluded with closing remarks from representatives of Hilti and Paynet, followed by a closing speech from Vice President Lam Yun Han. "ImagineHack 2025 revolves around a single concept: Reimagine Malaysia. This theme is not just a title; it is a challenge for everyone to envision what our country could become through innovation and creativity," stated Yun Han. Special recognition had to be given to the committee members who dedicated several months to preparing for ImagineHack 2025, enduring countless meetings and late nights, as well as navigating unexpected changes. The dedication and hard work of the AOT members made ImagineHack 2025 possible.