Beyond the barcode: Meet the entrepreneur building a more transparent product scanner

What happened

Some people might think there’s only one way to do an interview. While in-person conversations or Zoom calls are the norm, that format doesn’t suit everyone.

Bálint László is 19 and the founder of LB: Universal Scanner , a privacy-focused product and ingredient scanner. Point your phone at a barcode — or photograph the ingredients if the barcode isn’t recognised — and the app helps explain what’s actually in the product.

It covers everything from food and pet food to cosmetics, cleaning products, and household and art supplies. Bálint is also neurodiverse and prefers written rather than verbal communication.