There’s not much that thrills us more than a startup competition — and we mean deep down in our bones thrilled. That’s why we’re beyond excited to host the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) Global Finals on July 22 starting at 9:00 a.m. (PT). This event is virtual and free to attend — but you need to register for your free ticket.
We’re serious when we describe this particular startup competition as extraordinary. Why? This pitch throw-down is all about startups determined to power a more equitable, inclusive and healthy world, and we need more of that visionary thinking put into action.
The competition just to reach the finals was fierce. More than 3,700 startups — from 92 countries — applied across XTC’s competition tracks: Agtech, Food & Water, Cleantech & Energy, Edtech, Enabling Tech, Fintech, Healthtech and Mobility & Smart Cities. Learn more about XTC here.
You know they’ll bring the heat and present a finely tuned pitch. And they’ll need it to impress this panel of judges — all of whom focus on sustainable impact.
So, without further ado, meet seven of the world’s best purpose-driven startups as they vie to be crowned the Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 global winner.
AgTech & FoodTech: Wasteless, a patented fully automated AI solution that applies optimal markdowns in real time — based on products’ expiration dates and other factors — to reduce food waste and increase profitability.
CleanTech & Energy: Mining and Process Solutions, a nontoxic, natural alternative to cyanide and acid for the extraction of metals in mining operations.
EdTech: Testmaster, a mobile app that helps secondary students in West African countries successfully pass their matriculation exams. “The best private tutor in one’s pocket” delivers short, intuitive and accessible exercises and tutorial videos.
Enabling Tech: Dot Inc., the maker of the first tactile monitor that enables STEM education, visual works and games for the 285 million visually impaired people worldwide. Dot Inc. is expanding its technologies to help all disabled people to access public information in smart cities through barrier-free kiosks and IoT infrastructures.
FinTech: Hillridge Technology has developed weather-based parametric insurance for farmers to help protect crop yields and livestock.
HealthTech: Genetika+ combines genetics, patient history and unique brain biomarkers to help people suffering from depression, thereby helping to save patients’ lives, physicians’ time and healthcare payers’ costs.
Mobility & Smart Cities: Fotokite helps public safety teams save lives with elevated and actionable intelligence at the push of a button. Fully autonomous and field proven, Fotokite solutions are used daily by firefighters and first responders to assess, visualize and document their incidents within seconds of arriving on scene.
In addition to the seven Category Winners announced, four Special Awards Winners were chosen because their innovations highlight the topical tech trends, promote diversity, and align with current events.
Female Founder Award: The Live Green Co. is building a proprietary technology platform, Charaka, to replace not only the animal but also the synthetic and ultra-processed ingredients in food products with 100% natural, functional and sustainable plant alternatives at ten times R&D speed and savings. Its vision is to reimagine all the food products on supermarket shelves at scale using Charaka, to disrupt the way the world eats.
COVID-19 Innovation Award: Sunfox is a medtech R&D company building smartphone-based portable, minimalistic and affordable cardiac diagnostic tools with cloud-enabled analytics. Its flagship product is the world’s smartest ICU monitor that allows physicians to manage patients remotely in scale. In COVID times, this device has helped to save lives in India.
Ethical AI Award: Vitalk leverages AI-powered chatbots to make mental healthcare more accessible in Latin America. Vitalk currently works with employers and insurance companies in Brazil and is set to expand to other countries next year.
People’s Choice Award: PathGen Diagnostik Teknologi disrupts the molecular diagnostics market for cancer through inclusive, robust, and affordable platforms. With a strong ecosystem of academic-business-government-community partnership, PathGen seeks to democratize precision medicine, especially in developing countries, and enable molecular diagnostics for all.
The Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals take place on July 22. Join us and thousands of people around the world for this free, virtual pitch competition. Register here for your free ticket.
