At the National eXpo held on May 8 in Vilnius, Tesonet initiative AI karta joined students, teachers, and young innovators to explore how artificial intelligence can be applied in practice to solve real-world challenges.

As part of the initiative, Lithuanian schools were encouraged to use the latest AI tools — nexos.ai for teachers and Hostinger Horizons for students in grades 9–12 and their educators — helping bring hands-on AI experimentation into the learning process.

During the event, student teams developing AI-based solutions presented their ideas to an expert jury, demonstrating not only technical skills, but also strong product thinking and market awareness. The presentations highlighted how quickly young creators can turn ideas into functional prototypes when given access to advanced technologies and guidance from educators.

Teachers played an essential role throughout the process, mentoring and supporting teams as they prepared to showcase their projects on the Lithuanian Junior Achievement National eXpo stage. The event reflected the growing importance of collaboration between technology and education in preparing the next generation of innovators.

The top-performing team received the competition’s grand prize — tickets to Latitude59, one of the largest startup and technology conferences in the Baltics, held annually in Estonia.

AI adoption in education

One of the strongest themes throughout the event was the growing integration of artificial intelligence into student entrepreneurship. Through its Generation AI initiative, Tesonet encouraged Lithuanian schools to actively adopt and experiment with the latest AI technologies in education and product development. Students and teachers were given access to tools such as nexos.ai and Hostinger Horizons, enabling young creators to rapidly prototype ideas, test business concepts, and build functional digital products.

The initiative reflects Tesonet’s broader mission to empower the next generation of technology creators by making advanced AI tools accessible early in the learning journey. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical knowledge, the program promotes hands-on experimentation, entrepreneurial thinking, and practical innovation.

According to Simona Laiconaitė, AI has the potential to significantly reduce technological inequality by giving students access to tools that dramatically accelerate creation and innovation.

“Artificial intelligence is a technology that equalizes opportunities and starting positions for children. With the right support, a student can now build a prototype in just a few days and turn an idea into something the world can experience. This is more than an investment in technology — it is an investment in mindset and in building a generation of creators rather than passive consumers,” she said.

Student startups showcase innovation at National eXpo

The National Student Company eXpo in Vilnius brought together the most advanced student-led startups from across Lithuania, highlighting a new generation of young creators building technology-driven solutions with real business potential.

More than 70 of the country’s top student companies gathered in Vilnius following a nationwide entrepreneurship season that engaged over 2,000 students, 500 student-run businesses, and hundreds of mentors from the business and academic communities. The event demonstrated the rapidly growing level of technological competence among Lithuanian students and their ability to apply AI, engineering, and digital tools to real-world challenges.

The showcased projects ranged from AI-powered assistants, cybersecurity solutions, drone technologies, and virtual reality products to sustainability-focused innovations, educational platforms, and digital wellbeing tools. Many of the teams presented high-value prototypes designed with scalability and commercial potential in mind.

The event also reinforced the importance of collaboration between the education ecosystem and the technology sector. By working alongside organizations such as Lithuanian Junior Achievement, Tesonet continues to support entrepreneurship education that combines business thinking, technology skills, and real-world product development experience.

This year’s student projects showed a clear shift toward more sophisticated, scalable, and globally relevant innovation — signaling strong momentum for the future of Lithuania’s startup and technology ecosystem.