Young Minds, Big Innovations: DiscoverSTEM Marks Innovation Day 2025 with Breakthrough, Patentable Ideas

As teen anxiety and depression rise across the United States, with nearly one in three teens reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, high school students are stepping up with solutions that leverage technology to save lives. At the forefront is Arjun Kommidi, whose AI-powered app helps parents learn about mental, emotional, and behavioral development of kids through peer-to-peer feedback.

Arjun’s work earned him the title of the Winner of the America’s Top Young Innovators 2025 held at the University of Texas at Dallas.

The competition highlighted student-led breakthroughs across AI, robotics, healthcare, and mental health, showing that age is not a barrier when it comes to building an impactful innovation. “Competing here showed me that technology and innovation is not just for professors or scientists working in labs. Even young teenagers can tackle pressing world problems with their ideas and solutions,” said Aryaanshi Sundaram.

Together, these projects demonstrate a simple truth: America’s next generation is tackling challenges that span personal well-being, global health, and environmental sustainability.

Arjun developed, patented, seed-funded, and commercialized this innovation at DiscoverSTEM’s Research and Innovation Lab, where he has been an Ivy League Mentorship (ILM) student since 7th grade. He dedicated two years to this project, transforming it from concept to startup with the support and resources of DiscoverSTEM. 

“For many teens, speaking up about mental health is difficult,” Kommidi explained. “Technology can give parents a bridge to connect to their child’s world as they undergo challenges related to mental, emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development.”

America’s Top Young Innovators Competition highlighted student-led breakthroughs across AI, robotics, healthcare, and mental health, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to building impactful innovation

Bold Ideas Across Disciplines

Arjun was not alone. Ashaz Haque and Hadiya Sameen were recognized for developing the AI algorithm for the Mylin app designed to record and report feedback and predict the onset of mental illness among teenagers.

Aryaanshi Sundaram explored “Green AI,” and did outstanding research using a comparative study of different LLM and SLM models.

Other winners illustrated the breadth of youth innovation:

• Aayan Ali built an algorithm to automatically align a space debris cleaning system in orbit toward the target debris.
• Gabriele Hiruedhay developed an innovation to predict and prevent knee injuries in sports.
• Ayush Veer Davuluri created an AI-powered robotic system to track, monitor, and predict termite and other pest activity.

Why It Matters

The event drew over 400 attendees, including educators, industry leaders, and scientists. Gurvinder Singh Ahluwalia, founder of Digital Twin Labs and former IBM CTO, called the work of these young innovators “a reminder that the future of science and technology lies in the creativity of our youth.”

The innovation partner to ‘America’s Top Young Innovator’ competition is DiscoverSTEM, an organization dedicated to fostering the intellectual and creative potential of youth. As an innovation partner, DiscoverSTEM conducts a FREE innovation camp for the participants of the competition to sharpen their innovative and critical thinking and help participants convert their ideas into novel and patentable innovations. As an innovation partner, they also help the participants secure the intellectual property by filing a patent application for their innovation in the US with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

Over the past five years, DiscoverSTEM has mentored hundreds of students in identifying real-world problems and creating novel innovations. Over 700 students filed patent applications, with more than 345 students already securing patents for their innovations in the US and other countries. The organization operates a state-of-the-art Research & Innovation Lab in Plano, Texas USA, where students engage in cutting-edge research across fields such as Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence, Genomics, FinTech, Biotechnology & Health Sciences, Energy & Environment, Neurotechnology, and more.

On March 18, 2025, the Texas State Capitol bestowed a remarkable honor on DiscoverSTEM and its young innovators. Through House Resolution #403, the Texas House of Representatives formally recognized DiscoverSTEM’s outstanding contribution in shaping the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. This rare distinction stands as a testament to the transformative impact of DiscoverSTEM’s mission, nurturing young minds, fostering innovation, and empowering students to redefine the future.

Tomorrow’s Challenges, Solved by Today’s Youth 

The America’s Top Young Innovator 2025 competition is a global innovation competition for students aged 10 to 22 years. It is more than just a showcase of young talent; it is a platform for the next generation of leaders in science and technology. The diversity of ideas and the impact of the projects presented demonstrate that these students are not only thinking about the future but actively shaping it.

From advancements in AI and robotics to breakthroughs in healthcare and biotechnology, the solutions presented at this competition have the potential to change lives on a global scale. These young innovators are a testament to what can be achieved when creativity, passion, and technical expertise are nurtured and supported.

As the competition grows, so too does the promise of a brighter future—one where young people lead the way in addressing the most complex challenges of our time. The next generation of innovators has arrived, and they are already making their mark on the world.

For more information about America’s Top Young Innovator Competition, visit: www.topyounginnovators.org