STANFORD, Calif., Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Second Annual Sushi Hackathon, hosted by Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, co-organized with GDX, and co-sponsored by SMBC, concluded on Friday, October 3, 2025, at Stanford University’s Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. From over 1,500 applications, 60 top university students and young engineers competed to develop Generative AI (GenAI) solutions under the theme “Development of AI solutions to increase fishermen’s income,” with the goal of helping increase fisherman’s income.
The winning team, SushInnovation, who netted a grand prize of $30,000 impressed judges with their innovative project, “Polaris,” enabling shipping boats to be powered by AI and promoting sustainable fishing while enhancing profitability. It allows crew to better utilize their time and track how the boat is functioning, automates sonar fish detection and detects failures in real time, thus allowing fishermen to have more time to fish. The project addressed the hackathon’s core challenge: creating GenAI solutions to locate, classify, and prioritize premium fish for optimal quality and taste. The team consisted of Ethan Bernstein (UC Davis), Anthony Furman (UC Santa Cruz), Kamran Hussain (Stanford) and Rome Drori (San Jose State University).
The Second Place team was Deep Catch and Third Place went to Pill Snap (team members – Caylin Canoy, Atlassian; and Brian Liu, Shawn Pana, Reagan Hsu all from UC San DIego).
Fish is a major part of Japanese culture and the Sushi Hackathon helped bring the fishing and seafood tradition into the modern age. With GenAI solutions, fishing can be more sustainable, profitable, and impactful.
The 2025 Sushi Hackathon built on the success of the 2024 event, bringing together coders from Stanford, UC Berkeley, Nvidia, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and other leading organizations for a generative AI sprint. Participants tackled cutting-edge challenges, including AI-powered supply chain resilience and sustainable delivery solutions. The event featured a prize pool, partnerships with industry leaders, and a sushi meal crafted by world-class chef Yuichi Arai, blending coding, culture, and commerce.
A highlight of the hackathon was a keynote address by Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s First Minister of Digital Affairs (2022–2024), who inspired participants to leverage AI for global impact. The pre-event dinner on October 2, featuring authentic Edomae sushi by Chef Yuichi Arai, fostered cross-disciplinary exchange among participants, professors, and tech executives.
“We are proud to celebrate Sushi Innovation and their groundbreaking project, Polaris, which exemplifies how GenAI can transform sustainable fishing,” said Ikawa Kenjiro, Director and Chief Operating Officer at GDX Co., Ltd.. “Their solution demonstrates the potential to preserve ocean health, reduce waste and support livelihoods while delivering high-quality fish to consumers.”
The Sushi Hackathon challenged participants to balance sustainability and profitability, streamline operations through digital innovation, and enhance consumer trust by visualizing fish sourcing with full traceability
More details about the event and winning projects are available at sushihackathon.com.
About APARC: The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) addresses critical issues affecting the countries of Asia, their regional and global affairs, and U.S.-Asia relations. As Stanford University’s hub for the interdisciplinary study of contemporary Asia, APARC produces policy-relevant research, provides education and training to students, scholars, and practitioners, and strengthens dialogue and cooperation between counterparts in the Asia-Pacific and the United States. Founded in 1983, APARC today is home to a scholar community of distinguished academics and practitioners in government, business, and civil society, who specialize in trends that cut across the entire Asia-Pacific region. For more, visit aparc.stanford.edu.
About GDX: GDX Co., Ltd. is a Japanese retail DX company on a mission to “enable cross-border commerce with a single click,” accelerating brand growth in the global marketplace. Leveraging generative AI, e-commerce platforms, and business automation solutions, GDX delivers comprehensive end-to-end omnichannel solutions—from strategy development and system implementation to operational support. With headquarters in Japan and offices across the United States, India, Southeast Asia, and beyond, GDX tailors digital strategies to local business practices and customer needs, driving global expansion for its partners. For more information: https://gdx.inc/
Event Details:
● Date: Friday, October 3, 2025
● Location: Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
● Website: sushihackathon.com
For More Information:
Glenn Mandel
Firecracker PR
[email protected]
760-798-1563
Michele Nachum
Firecracker PR
[email protected]
425-698-7477
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