MIT Solve Selects New Class of 40 Tech-Based Social Entrepreneurs Addressing Global Challenges with over $2 Million in Funding

Solve Innovation Future announces investment in three new Solver teams

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute for Technology with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges, revealed the new Solver teams and Indigenous Communities Fellows selected for its 2022 Global Challenges. The news was announced during Solve’s annual social impact pitch event in New York City ahead of UN General Assembly Week.

The new 2022 Solver and Indigenous Communities Fellow Class was selected by Solve’s expert judges from a pool of over 1,100 applicants from 117 countries and 46 Native Tribes. In this new class, 70% of Solver teams are women-led, 20 countries and eight American Indian Tribes are represented, and 48% are for profit/hybrid organizations.

You can find out more about the Solver class for the 2022 Global Challenges:

• The Care Economy,
• Re-Engaging Learners,
• Climate: Ecosystems + Housing,
• Equitable Health Systems, and
• The 2022 Indigenous Communities Fellows.

Included in this 2022 Solver Class are the first teams to join the inaugural Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program, launched this year as part of Solve’s ongoing racial equity work.

“Solve sees the power in supporting entrepreneurs with proximity and experiences of global challenges and their impact on their communities. I’m excited to see the positive changes these teams will make,” said Solve’s Executive Director, Alex Amouyel. “In the coming nine months, our team—with the support of our growing Solve Community made up of corporations, foundations, and institutions—will fund, support, and mentor these entrepreneurs so they can scale their work and impact.”

Over $2M in prize funding was awarded to the 2022 Solver teams and Indigenous Communities Fellows as well as select Solver teams from previous classes, with prize pools split as follows:

• The GM Prize supported by General Motors – $150,000
• Recipients: Annie, Amazon Gatherers for the Future, Indigenized Energy Initiative, Kibo – Inclusive Education for Blind, Mana Mama / Anax Angil, MycoTile Panels
• The Innovation for Women Prize supported by Vodafone Americas Foundation – $75,000
• Recipients: Batonga’s Podcasts for Equality: rural girl-led storytelling, Kidogo – quality childcare through social franchising, omgyno: Home Testing & Telehealth
• The Living Proof Prize: Women’s Leadership Solutions supported by Living Proof – $100,000
• Recipients: Lakou Kajou’s Eksploratoryòm, Same Same: A lifeline for LGBTQI+ youth
• Heifer International Prize for Innovation for Smallholder Agriculture supported by Heifer International – $250,000
• Recipients: 2021 Solver teams Brastorne and Hiveonline
• AI for Humanity Prize supported by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation – $150,000
• Recipients: Amazon Gatherers for the Future, DawaMom, Kibo – Inclusive Education for Blind, Tarjimly: Translating for Humanity
• The Elevate Prize supported by The Elevate Prize Foundation – $300,000
• Finalists (recipient to be announced in January 2023): Indigenized Energy Initiative, 2020 Solver team SmartFish Mexico, Tarjimly: Translating for Humanity
• The GSR Prize supported by GSR – $200,000
• Recipients: Annie, Batonga’s Podcasts for Equality: rural girl-led storytelling, MycoTile Panels
• The Health Access Prize supported by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, a fund within the Johnson & Johnson Foundation – $175,000
• Recipients: DawaMom, Speetar, Care Xchange – Staff share, Jamii Life, omgyno: Home Testing & Telehealth
• The Good Energies Prize supported by Good Energies Foundation – $100,000
• Recipients: Amazon Gatherers for the Future, Easy Housing, Housing NOW, MycoTile Panels
• The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion supported by Andan Foundation – $100,000
• Recipients: Earth Enable, 2021 Solver team Hello World, and 2020 Solver team SOLshare
• The Health Equity Catalyst Prize supported by Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada – $40,000
• Recipient: MedHaul
• All 2022 Solver teams and Indigenous Community Fellows also receive a $10,000 grant from Solve, which is funded through donor gifts and Membership contributions.

Additionally, Solver teams and Indigenous Communities Fellows are eligible for investment from Solve Innovation Future, Solve’s first-of-its-kind philanthropic venture fund. Solve Innovation Future invests debt and equity in for-profit and hybrid Solver teams. Solve Innovation Future is an evergreen fund, held as a donor-advised fund with ImpactAssets, with Solve serving as the donor advisor. Any returns are reinvested in future Solver teams, meaning donor gifts are multiplied over time. Solve Innovation Future has invested in 13 Solver teams since launch, and for every dollar invested, the team has catalyzed an additional five dollars of investment to Solver teams.

Solve is excited to announce three new Solver team investees:

• GLOBHE provides high-resolution imagery as an alternative to satellite data. By leveraging a global network of drone operators, GLOBHE is able to better inform businesses, organizations, and researchers to drive for a sustainable future.
• Ilara Health, creator of Butterfly iQ, is using tech-powered diagnostic devices to save lives, equipping a network of primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) to deliver quality healthcare to Africa’s under-served communities.
• Dondoctor, creator of Sexperto, is working to make health systems more efficient, cost effective, and equitable for all patients. An online scheduling and software system for medical centers, clinics and hospitals, dondoctor provides real time, factual information and access to reproductive care to individuals across Latin America through their Sexperto platform.

Read Solve Innovation Future’s annual report to learn more.

Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social entrepreneurs all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s innovation ecosystem and a community of supporters to fund and support these entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting transformational impact. Solve has catalyzed over $60 million in commitments for Solver teams and entrepreneurs to date. Join Solve on this journey at solve.mit.edu.

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