Winners of Hack for Earth's 7 challenge categories

Winners in the seve Challenge Categories announced

Hack for Earth is a global online hackathon with 1371 teams from more than 121+ countries. It has been hosted in collaboration with United Nations and the Swedish Pavilion at Expo2020, with the focus on finding real sustainable solutions for our future.

For two weeks, global teams have been working on solutions for the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals.

The seven category winners of Hack for Earth 2021 have now been appointed by the seven jury groups. The winners were presented during a live-streamed ceremony on November 19th from Stockholm, Sweden.

The winning teams wins a spot in Build for Earth – a unique acceleration program organized in collaboration with our Partner community. Hack for Earth Foundation’s core values is sustainability, diversity, and most of all – impact.

On December 15th the Hack for Earth Award winner will be appointed by the Head Jury Group in the United Nations Hub at the world exhibition Expo2020 in Dubai. Hack for Earth Award winner will win 10.000 USD, the Hack for Earth Cup and a spot in the unique acceleration program Build for Earth, hosted by Hack for Earth Foundation.

The seven challenge category winners are:

Human Rights Challenge Category
Team DMoLL., with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realizability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the Challenge Category Human Rights is DMoLL.

The jury finds that DMoLL has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world.

The solution has the potential to contribute to one of the biggest challenges we need to solve; the human right “equal access to internet connection and knowledge”.

The team has identified the problem that not everyone around the world has access to the internet and therefore are limited in their access to information and to participation which is their right. And they have come up with a sustainable solution, using solar panels to make both accessible.

The solution contributes to solving an important problem in a sustainable way.

Health Challenge Category
Team Nittiv, with motivation: 

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realizability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the Challenge Category Health is Lab Casas.

The Jury finds that Lab Casas has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world.

The solution, which will connect travelers to a list of local wellness operators, guides, and experts, has the potential to contribute to job creation and economic well-being among people living in remote and rural areas as well as increased health.

Environment Challenge Category
Team Sustainability Insights, with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realisability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the Challenge Category Environment is Sustainability Insights.

The Jury finds that Sustainability Insights has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world.

The solution will also become a platform for providing guidance, education, and awareness with personalized insights that enable communities to share long-term positive impact.

Sustainable Society Challenge Category
Team Recy-Block, with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realisability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the challenge category Sustainable Society is Recy-Block.

The Sustainable Society Jury finds that Recy-Block has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world.

The solution will also contribute to saving our planet’s scarce resources by transforming plastic waste and plastic-based gear into eco-friendly construction material, which will be easily scalable and more cost-effective, durable, eco-friendly, and faster to use than the existing solutions, also providing a new way for recycling plastic waste because it's time to stop more plastic from ending up in our oceans.

Education Challenge Category
Team UN-EduPass, with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realisability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the Education challenge category is the team of teachers, students & professors from AFRICA-DESIGN, KTH Royal Institute of Technology & the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences with solution UN-EduPass.

The Jury finds that the team behind UN-EduPass has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world. The solution will increase educational opportunities for and enhance the mobility of youngsters around the globe through evaluating and translating students' qualifications and grades in accordance with a new global grading standard that will be recognized by any university or future employer anywhere in the world.

Water Challenge Category
Team VarunaBlue, with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realisability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the challenge category Water is Varuna Blue.

The Jury finds that Varuna Blue has created a solution that has the potential to create real change for our future world.

The solution will also empower women through the employment of female seaweed farmers and will provide a swift response to one of the most urgent threats we face today, plastic water pollution.

Partnership Challenge Category
Team Luminous Teen, with motivation:

For an outstanding solution in regards to the criteria Comprehensibility, Realisability, Innovativeness, Scalability, Solving the Sustainable Development Goals and Team, the winner in the challenge category Partnership is Luminous Teen.

The Jury finds that Luminous Teen has a collaborative approach to solving the SDG:s through youth empowerment that is both innovative and sustainable.

Read more about all winners at hackforearth.com/winners

Hack for Earth's Judges per category

• Human Rights
  • Pernilla Baralt - Head Jury Member, Executive Director, UNICEF Sweden
  • Maria Jose Segura, Community and Hacks Lead, UNLEASH
  • Shanti Ingeström, Child Rights Officer, UNICEF Sweden
  • Linnea Gibbs, Project Leader, Sandbacka Science Park
    
    
• Health
  • Suzanne Håkansson - Head Jury Member, Senior Director Government Affairs Europe and NoBa, AstraZeneca AB
  • Alisa Komarova, Fintech expert, ChromaWay
  • Ian Soh, Founder, MoreViralThanTheVirus
  • Kolawole Olubankole Okuboyejo, Account Manager - Partnerships, Ambitious Africa
  • Mikaela Annerling Swahn, Regional Director, Swecare Foundation
    
    
• Environment
  • Nidal AlBasha - Head Jury Member, Digital Innovation Leader MENA Region, Amazon Web Services
  • Madeleine Thun, Innovation and Business Excellence Director, AstraZeneca
  • Heidi Solba, President and Head of Global Network, Let's Do It World NGO
  • Anneli Ohvril, Executive Director, Let's Do It World NGO
  • Peter Andersson, Innovation manager, Sandbacka Science Park
  • Helena Johnzon Dahl, Marketing Manager, Peace Parks Foundation Sweden
    
    
• Sustainable Society
  • Svein Berg - Head Jury Member, Managing Director, Nordic Innovation of Nordic Council of Ministers
  • Charlotte Kalin, Chief Executive Officer, Make Trade
  • Anna-Maija Sunnanmark, Head of program, Nordic Innovation
  • Rishabh Banga, Advisory Board Member, Hacker's Tribe Foundation
  • Anthony McCarrick, Digital Strategist, Sodertalje Municipality
    
    
• Education
  • Zeynep Erdal - Head Jury Member, Founder & Managing Director, Wovid Diaries
  • Barry O'Brien, Sweden Lead/ Head of Communication, Tech Nordic Advocates
  • Disa Jernudd, Secretary General, Kodcentrum
    
    
• Water
  • Ian Edgar - Head Jury Member, Head of Learning and Partnerships, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park
  • Edurne Gil de San Vicente, Program Director, Water Alliance
  • Cecilia Braidy, Deputy Director, Water Alliance UAE
  • Jed Sundwall, AWS Sustainability Business Development Global Lead, Amazon Web Services
    
    
• Partnership
  • Brighton Kaoma - Head Jury Member, Global Director, UN SDSN Youth
  • Johan Hammarlund, Collaborative Foresight Advisor, Kairos Future
  • Ege Palaz, Communications Manager / Innovation Lab, ChromaWay
  • Samuel Ekne, Unity & Java/Kotlin Developer, ChromaWay
  • Mark Hooley, Founder, CollabMaker
  • Natalia Hartog, CEO of The Will and Vice President of Swedcham Chile, The Will
  • Per Braun, Cyber Security Expert and Entrepreneur, United Blue Light

Next up

Next up is that all the (7) winning teams are invited to send a representative from their team to pitch their solution to the Head Jury Group on stage at the Hack for Earth Award Ceremony on December 15th at World Expo2020 in Dubai.

The Hack for Earth Award winner will receive the Hack for Earth Cup, $10 000 USD and a study visit to explore the Swedish innovation ecosystem in Stockholm.

Read more at hackforearth.com