2023 Global Finals Results

OUR 2023 GLOBAL FINALS HOSTS

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

FIRST PLACE GRAND PRIZE

$25,000 SEED FUNDING

ELYTHEA

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Elythea is an ML/DL-driven platform that obstetricians in any setting use to predict risk for complications of pregnancy (postpartum hemorrhage, c-section, eclampsia) before they ever happen. We use information that is available at the point of care, so we can make the prediction as early as the 1st trimester, allowing doctors months to prepare in advance.

SECOND PRIZE

$15,000 IN SEED FUNDING

NUTRI-WIN

SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

Nutri-Win is a social enterprise committed to tackling the issue of protein malnutrition through the development and distribution of a highly nutritious cereal-based product. Our mission is to provide an accessible and affordable meal fortified with essential proteins and micronutrients, improving the health and well-being of affected individuals, especially children. By addressing protein deficiency, Nutri-Win aims to make a lasting impact on the fight against Kwashiorkor in Nigeria.

THIRD PRIZE

$10,000 IN SEED FUNDING

B-CARE WOOD PELLETS

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

B-Care seeks to improve the livelihoods of women in Ethiopia and most developing countries who carry heavy wood because of the lack of modern energy sources, by manufacturing and supplying wood pellets as a better alternative. The company will provide wood pellets as a source of fuel which is environmentally beneficial, sustainable, and a renewable biomass.

IDEA GRANT WINNERS

$2,000 IN SEED FUNDING

APTXR

THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY

aptXR is a pioneering startup specializing in revolutionizing medical education through immersive virtual reality experiences. Our mission is to enhance the training of medical students and practitioners by providing high-quality simulations and realistic scenarios that promote skill development and decision-making in a safe and controlled environment in Africa.

CHEMCO

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

Chemco reclaims raw materials from lithium ion batteries in a sustainable and efficient manner, redirecting them from the landfills, rivers, and main ecological systems to tools for bettering the environment.

AQUARIUS

UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

Aquarius is an engineering project that aims to revolutionize commercial fishing methods. Our innovative solution is designed to uplift fishing nets, effectively putting an end to the catastrophic damage inflicted upon the fragile seabed. Currently, nets rubbing against the seabed devastate marine ecosystems and contribute to 1.5 billion tons of annual CO2 emissions. Join us in preserving ocean health and reducing CO2 emissions.

CLEAN CROP FERTILIZER

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

CleanCrop Fertilizer is an organic fertilizer made from well treated human urine mixed with carbon materials. Our mission is to reduce indiscriminate disposal of urine and environmental pollution, solve unemployment issues in Ghana and beyond, and provide healthy chemical-free high yield crops for human consumption and well-being.

ASCENDER SYSTEMS

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

Well-coordinated disaster relief operations require reliable communications, perimeter security, and area lighting. Unfortunately, these often take several weeks to establish, delaying critical aid to those who need it. Ascender Systems has designed our patented single-person-deployable robotic solution that climbs vertical pipes, poles, and columns and installs our leave-behind system atop these structures, thereby ensuring safe delivery of assistance.

BIG IDEA/SDG3 AWARD

1ST

$5,000 IN SEED FUNDING

ELYTHEA

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Elythea is an ML/DL-driven platform that obstetricians in any setting use to predict risk for complications of pregnancy (postpartum hemorrhage, c-section, eclampsia) before they ever happen. We use information that is available at the point of care, so we can make the prediction as early as the 1st trimester, allowing doctors months to prepare in advance.

BIG IDEA/SDG3 AWARD

2ND

$2,500 IN SEED FUNDING

ONPOINT VENTILATION

JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

OnPoint Ventilation is a medical technology startup focused on revolutionizing one-lung ventilation, a vital procedure in cardiothoracic surgeries. Our innovative approach aims to enhance safety, simplicity, and efficiency, leading to reduced complications and improved patient outcomes. By prioritizing inclusivity and equitable access to medical advancements, we are committed to improving health outcomes for underrepresented populations and contributing to the reduction of healthcare disparities.

WOMEN INNOVATORS

$2,000 IN SEED FUNDING

FUNGI VITAE

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Fungi Vitae seeks to tackle the problem of inadequate waste management in slum communities. Our system can be divided into three steps: collect, grow, and sell. We buy organic material from waste sorters, a common profession in slums. Then use this waste to grow mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are harvested, we sell the intact ones. The leftover substrate, which is the material in which the mushrooms are grown, is dried, treated with nutrients, and sold as fertilizer.

AUDIENCE CHOICE

$1,000 IN SEED FUNDING

AQUARIUS

UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE

Aquarius is an engineering project that aims to revolutionize commercial fishing methods. Our innovative solution is designed to uplift fishing nets, effectively putting an end to the catastrophic damage inflicted upon the fragile seabed. Currently, nets rubbing against the seabed devastate marine ecosystems and contribute to 1.5 billion tons of annual CO2 emissions. Join us in preserving ocean health and reducing CO2 emissions.

INSTAGRAM-TEAM

$1,000 IN SEED FUNDING

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

Home Away From Home is a social business that raises mental health awareness in refugee children through comic books.

INSTAGRAM-INDIVIDUAL

$500 IN SEED FUNDING

EMBRACE THE RED

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

‘Embrace the Red’ is all about embracing the red of menstruation. We want our school-going menstruators in Nepal to have direct access to sanitary pads, and we do that via installation of sanitary pad vending machines in the schools. Embrace the Red aims to address period poverty and period stigma in the Nepali society through our educational component in our sanitary pads and empower our menstruators.

PITCH ROOM RUNNER UP

$500 IN SEED FUNDING

LASBITE

THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY

LasBite is focused on reducing food waste and alleviating food insecurity in Rwanda. Our product is centred around the sharing culture of food within communities and offering food outlets a platform to sell food at discounted prices before it goes to waste hence harvesting value supported by AI technology.

COMPUTERS FOR PEOPLE

BABSON UNIVERSITY

Computers 4 People is a non-profit committed to collecting, refurbishing, and donating computers to individuals and organizations in under-resourced communities to promote equity and access to opportunity. They are a leading organization bridging the digital divide in New Jersey, New York City, & Massachusetts.

NURU!

DUKE UNIVERSITY

Nuru! is a speedy response innovation that provides free, reliable, and accessible information about cancer in local languages, offers free counseling sessions to cancer patients in Tanzania to help mitigate self-stigma, and creates media that that links cancer patients to resources around them.

EMBRACE THE RED

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

‘Embrace the Red’ is all about embracing the red of menstruation. We want our school-going menstruators in Nepal to have direct access to sanitary pads, and we do that via installation of sanitary pad vending machines in the schools. Embrace the Red aims to address period poverty and period stigma in the Nepali society through our educational component in our sanitary pads and empower our menstruators.

EURUS

BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONALS

Eurus is a renewable energy solution company that manufactures “ONUVA” which is a vertical blade wind turbine. It can adapt to changing wind directions and operates 24 hours a day, even at very minimum wind speed. Our product will be an energy solution in urban residential areas, remote areas and industries during this energy crisis.We are fulfilling 5 SDG goals.

HYDROPHOS SOLUTIONS

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

HydroPhos Solutions is a circular economy social venture that simultaneously addresses eutrophication and phosphorus depletion as a function of its core business model. HydroPhos utilizes phosphorus filtration technology to extract phosphorus from wastewater, subsequently reselling this phosphorus into the fertilizer industry. This reduces eutrophication, recycles the nutrients, and extends the lifespan of our global food supply by combating phosphorus depletion.

TADPOLE

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Tadpole is the Shopify of learning– our mission is to increase access to quality education by equipping educators with the tools they need to start and run vibrant tutoring programs. With Tadpole, educators can now focus on teaching while every other element of their tutoring program– operations, billing, and branding– is entirely taken care of.

GREY GREEN

DUKE UNIVERSITY

GreyGreen is a company looking to revolutionize the field of subsistence agriculture with a product that is safe, smart, and sustainable. Employing patent-pending technology for greywater recycling and hydroponic farming, our product helps tackle the technology and resource inequities that burden low-income communities across the world, empowering humans to practice affordable, eco-conscious farming techniques that alleviate scarcity and promote a sustainable future.

See you next year!