Vodafone Americas Foundation Names Finalists for Seventh Annual Wireless Innovation Project(TM)

REDWOOD CITY, CA — (Marketwired) — 04/28/15 — The (VAF) today announced that finalists have been selected for its seventh annual (WIP). Since 2009, WIP has supported a spectrum of high impact mobile and wireless technology innovations, awarding nearly $3 million to not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations and universities. The annual WIP competition offers applicants the opportunity to win from a total prize fund of $600,000 for innovative mobile solutions that have potential to solve critical global issues. All finalists were recognized at a reception held in Redwood City on April 29.

The 2015 finalists are:

– Over 4.5 billion people across the world lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. So far, implementation of new sanitation technology has often been riddled with unsuccessful maintenance of the systems. Caltech–s mobile-based self-diagnosing technology for wastewater treatment systems (outside of conventional sewers) empower local community members to operate and maintain these sustaining sanitation solutions.

– Prenatal conditions are the fourth leading cause of death in developing nations, and hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia often lead to life-threatening complications, such as the HELLP syndrome, capable of killing mother and baby in just several hours. University of South Florida–s Hemolix offers a new low-cost, mobile-phone based platform for timely diagnosis of the HELLP syndrome, providing enough time to save their lives.

– The World Health Organization estimates that 3.3 billion people are at risk of infection with malaria, but it is preventable, curable, and can be eliminated with rapid intervention. RTI International–s Coconut Surveillance is a case surveillance and rapid response system with risk-mapping platform that uses Google Earth Engine to target responses and alert high-risk communities in real time.

– In November 2013, typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines knocked out cell towers and cut off electricity, resulting in total communications shutdown. According to USAID, 6.9 million people were impacted by the storm. De Novo Group–s Disaster Response Communications Systems is an “infrastructure-less” system that leverages smartphones of disaster victims and responders to form a peer-to-peer network for supporting efficient routing of needed supplies and information for areas hit the hardest.

– One of the basic needs in medicine to diagnose disease is to listen to the sounds of the body. A team from MIT has developed a mobile stethoscope and decision-support mobile application to provide critical diagnostic assistance to untrained health workers in developing countries.

– While mobile phone adoption in Asia and Africa continues to grow, many of the devices available are voice and text-only while data services remain prohibitively expensive. A team from Santa Clara University is leveraging recycled Android devices to create a Wi-Fi mesh network to offer entrepreneurs a way to provide affordable Internet and high speed Intranet to local populations.

– Vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate, and heart rate variability form the foundation of health monitoring, but are contact-based, resulting in high costs, potential for pathogen transfer and challenge in neonatal monitoring. A team from Rice University is introducing a smartphone-based, non-contact vital signs monitor that creates new opportunities for health workers in low-resourced areas.

– Although more than 2.3 billion people have gained access to clean water since 1990, up to 40% of rural water infrastructure has since fallen into disrepair. WellDone International has developed a remote monitoring technology that aims to improve the reliability of rural infrastructure by providing real-time usage and functionality information.

Previous winners have advanced to receive additional funding from organizations including Google and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, defined their intellectual property strategy, filed for patents, and commercially launched their innovations.

Vodafone Americas Foundation Board of Directors Chairman and President Chuck Pol said: “It is a privilege for the Foundation to support some of the most promising talent in mobile and wireless innovation for community impact. Supporting social good start-ups during their growth phases is core to the Vodafone Americas Foundation–s mission of empowering cutting-edge technologists focused on making a lasting difference in people–s lives across the globe.”

Winners will be announced during the held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., June 10-11.

Vodafone Americas Foundation Director June Sugiyama said: “The Wireless Innovation Project isn–t only about promising algorithms or platforms, but also about personal stories of change. The Foundation seeks mobile and wireless advancements that will create more equitable livelihoods, access to key health services, and safeguarding of local resources, among other areas of need. Some of our past WIP winners have already gone to market to make a difference in communities — winning our prize has helped propel their projects to the next stage, to build new prototypes, hire additional staff, initiate testing and launch pilots.”

For more details on the Wireless Innovation Project, visit .
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The Vodafone Americas Foundation is part of Vodafone–s global network of 26 foundations. It is affiliated with Vodafone Group. In addition the Wireless Innovation Project, the Vodafone Americas Foundation provides grants in the United States within the three-pillared approach to Improve People–s Lives, Support the Development Sector and Spark Innovation.

Vodafone is one of the world–s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 31 December 2014, Vodafone had 444 million mobile customers and 11.8 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: .

June Sugiyama
Director
Vodafone Americas Foundation

650-832-6611

Caitlin Haskins
Trainer Communications

415-800-5369

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