A headband designed to help visually impaired users navigate independently has earned two UAE-based innovators a spot on the global stage.
Dev Bhodia and Joshua Koshy, the team behind Vantage Vision Halo, will represent the UAE at the Red Bull Basement World Final in San Francisco after judges selected them from eight finalists who competed at a live national final held at The Gate DIFC in Dubai. Their device uses spatial awareness and obstacle detection technology to assist visually impaired users in moving through complex environments on their own.
The national final drew from hundreds of submissions across the UAE, with the competition open to students and first-time founders. The eight teams that reached the Dubai showcase presented solutions spanning AI-driven construction platforms, wearable athletic performance systems, desert agriculture technology, and quantum-inspired energy storage, among others.
Bhodia and Koshy said the journey from a university concept to winning the UAE round felt unexpected. “We’re honestly overwhelmed – coming through from a simple university idea to winning Red Bull Basement UAE feels surreal, but also like real validation that our product can make a difference in today’s market,” they said. “To other young entrepreneurs, if you have an idea you truly believe in, put it out there and apply – you never know where it might take you.”
The judging panel that selected them included Mohammed Alblooshi, CEO of DIFC Innovation Hub; Dr. Marwan Al Zarouni, CEO of AI at DET; Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of SME at DET; and Zaid Ghattas, General Manager METAP at AMD.
At the world final, the UAE pair will compete alongside teams from more than 40 countries, presenting to an international panel of judges, investors, and industry leaders. Before that, they enter a global development phase with access to tools and resources from programme partners Microsoft and AMD, as well as mentorship from an international network of innovators.
Red Bull Basement runs in collaboration with Microsoft, AMD, and Red Bull Ventures, with local support from DET, MONIIFY, and DIFC Innovation Hub.
