Teen Turns Walks to Watts, Wins Top Spot at EPIC Junior 2025

When Abir Dangayach was walking home from school one day, a lesson on energy transformation sparked an idea that would eventually earn him the Secondary Category crown at EPIC Junior 2025. The German Swiss International School student wondered: Why can’t the kinetic energy from footsteps be converted into electrical power?

That simple question became Eco-Stride, an innovative tile system that generates renewable electricity from the weight of pedestrians walking over it. “Once you step on them, the tiles move down, turning gears that spin a metal shaft with a magnet on it,” Dangayach explained. “According to electromagnetic induction, if there’s a magnet spinning with motion and there’s a magnetic field, then there must be current.”

The teen’s idea addresses what he sees as humanity’s over-dependence on fossil fuels. “Right now, we rely on fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide and cause global warming,” he said. “Once you take renewable energy from kinetic energy and turn that into electricity, it solves the need.”

But having a brilliant concept was only half the battle. Condensing a complex scientific innovation into a 60-second elevator pitch proved gruelling. Dangayach structured his presentation around four pillars: a compelling hook, product explanation, significance, and conclusion. “The hardest part was editing it. I must have changed it ten to twenty times, because even if I went over by five seconds, I had to edit it again,” he said.

The competition, jointly organised by Solomon Learning Group and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), drew over 300 student registrations. Modelled on HKSTP’s flagship EPIC start-up pitching competition, EPIC Junior brings the same elevator-pitch format to primary and secondary students. After completing online courses and submitting videos, 60 advanced to the semi-finals, before 12 finalists competed for top honours.

Alison Chan, CEO and Co-founder of Solomon Learning Group, described EPIC Junior as groundbreaking. “This first-of-its-kind initiative in Hong Kong challenges students to think like entrepreneurs, express ideas with clarity, and bring youth creativity to life through powerful pitching and presentation experiences outside the classroom,” she said.

For Dangayach, the EPIC Junior experience has only strengthened a long-held dream. “I actually aspired to be an aerospace engineer developing rockets, robots, and aeroplanes,” he said. “I had this idea before EPIC, but after the contest, I got deeper into engineering and way more interested in technology.”

If Eco-Stride is any indication, Hong Kong’s aerospace industry has a promising talent in the making.