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Vodafone has launched its first Techstarter awards, which have been created to uncover and develop ideas that harness the power of technology, connectivity and innovation to improve health, education, environmental protection or social mobility.
The finalists for its inaugural awards have been announced and include both profit and not-for-profit organisations. All have prototype ideas with a clearly defined social purpose.
The ventures exploit a range of technologies from mobile apps to the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain.
In addition to sharing a prize fund of £300K, winners will benefit from access to industry and technology expertise from Vodafone and the Social Tech Trust, enabling them to take their innovations from prototype to market readiness. This will include coaching, commercial development support, mentorship, investment and partnership advice.
Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director at Vodafone UK commented: “We believe some of the biggest challenges in society can be addressed using technology and innovation. Vodafone Techstarter is about recognising and celebrating how UK start-ups are helping shape society for the better; we want to empower small businesses to truly make a difference in society. I’m really excited to meet the finalists and see first-hand the impact their ideas and innovations could have.”
The 12 finalists are:
– Alexandra Rose Charity (Surrey) – Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project (RVP) – supports families on low income to avoid food poverty and access a healthy diet through providing vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables
– Code 4000 UK CIC (Hampshire) – Global Prison Curriculum Build – provides vocational training in computer programming with a view to enhancing the employability of ex-offenders, and to help to reduce reoffending
– Full Fact (London) – Automated Fact checking – its tools enable them to stop the spread of fake news, and identify and fact check some claims automatically in real time
– The Church of England’s Children’s Society (London) – Reality Check – pioneers the use of immersive virtual reality environments to help children manage and overcome anxiety, thereby addressing a root cause of more serious issues
– The Integrate Agency CIC (London) – Padlock – an online platform connecting businesses with freelance cybersecurity powered by up-skilling lone parents in marketable cyber skills
– Wayfindr (London) – Wayfindr – gives vision impaired people the power to navigate complex indoor environments independently, underpinned by smartphone technology and high-quality user experience standards
– BfB Labs – a mobile game to tackle anxiety – in young people by combining the most effective elements of cognitive behavioural therapy with an immersive gaming experience
– Good.Loop Ltd (Edinburgh) – Good.Loop – an ethical video ad platform enabling brands to connect social purpose with better viewer experience and better ad performance
– LettUs Grow (Bristol) – LettUs Grow – designs aeroponic farming technology and farm management software for indoor and vertical farms to help deliver higher crop yields, reduce the environmental impact of agriculture
– BlakBear Ltd (London) – BlakBear Agri – uses new sensors and software to increase the yield farmers can get from their land to feed a growing world sustainably. It combines electrochemical sensing innovations with statistical algorithms to understand soil nitrogen levels, and provide optimal nitrogen fertilisation instructions
– Walk With Path Ltd (Essex) – Path Feel – an insole that acts in real time to its users’ needs by vibrating in response to pressure resulting in the user being able to feel the floor and achieving balance, as well as tracking walking to aid diagnosis
– Alice SI Ltd (London) – bringing transparency to social funding – a decentralised social impact platform built on the Ethereum blockchain. It helps social organisations run projects transparently using smart contract-based incentives to ensure their impact is independently verified
The Vodafone Techstarter winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 7th February.
