OPPO returned for the second consecutive year in Viva Technology (VivaTech), the biggest startup and tech event in Europe, earlier this June to announce the final call for entries to the 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge and showcase some of the success stories from last year’s inaugural Inspiration Challenge.
Many promising proposals covering new technologies and concepts have already been received since entries opened for the 2023 Challenge in May, and many more proposals are expected over the coming weeks as the submission period enters its final phase.
The deadline for submitting proposals is on June 30. Applicants will be assigned to one of three regional challenges and the top five teams from each region will progress to the final global event. A total of five teams will be selected as global winners of the 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge, each of whom will receive a US$50,000 (pre-tax) grant, as well as potential partnership and funding opportunities from OPPO and its partners.
To learn more about the OPPO Inspiration Challenge and submit a proposal, visit oppo.com/en/proposal.
During VivaTech, OPPO Technology Strategic Planning Expert Rabinovich Adi, delivered a speech on how technology can be used to create a better future for all. He also introduced the latest updates from the 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge and invited a number of technology startups specializing in sustainability and accessible technology to demonstrate their innovations at the show.
“The overwhelming response to the first OPPO Inspiration Challenge last year showed us the great potential and possibilities for Virtuous Innovation in startups,” said Mr. Adi. “For the second Inspiration Challenge this year, we have introduced two new entry categories focusing on Inspiration for People and Inspiration for the Planet. Improving health and the environment are shared goals of everyone on this planet. By combining our own resources with the ingenuity of the startup community, we hope that we can use innovation to lead real changes in these two crucial areas.”
A total of 536 proposals from 39 countries and regions around the world were submitted to the 2022 Inspiration Challenge. Of these, OPPO has since gone on to support 18 teams to further implement their ideas. At this year’s VivaTech, OPPO invited the winner of last year’s Inspiration Challenge, Alango Technologies, and the Europe & Israel Regional Challenge winner, Sign Now, to share their experiences participating in the 2022 Inspiration Challenge.
Alango Technologies, a leader in the field of digital sound enhancement technologies for voice communication and immersive audio experiences across real-life scenarios, won last year’s OPPO Innovation Challenge with their proposal, BeHear line of concept consumer electronics products. This visionary hearing solution seamlessly integrates Bluetooth earpieces with state-of-the-art digital audio algorithms, delivering a range of exceptional assistive hearing devices that redefine the hearing-impaired users’ experience across diverse real-life scenarios.
Dr. Alexander Goldin, founder and CEO of Alango Technologies, expressed immense pride in claiming the title of the 2022 Inspiration Challenge winner.
“Winning the competition was an exceptional moment for us,” Mr. Goldin shared. “Since our victory, we have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with OPPO, joining forces to create a captivating promotional video. Moreover, we have utilized the prize money to refine our algorithms and expand the scope of our applications. Participating in the OPPO Inspiration Challenge proved to be a rewarding journey, allowing us to forge a close partnership with one of the world’s top consumer technology companies and seamlessly integrate our innovative solutions into mainstream electronic devices.”
“Taking part in the Inspiration Challenge has helped us to raise our profile at the global level,” said Hila Almog, head of community of Sign Now. “After winning the regional competition, we received a lot of media coverage and now have the opportunity to share our innovations here at VivaTech. By providing on-demand sign language interpretation through real-time video calls, our app serves as a bridge between the deaf community and service providers. Together with OPPO’s support and influence, we hope to improve accessibility and create equal opportunities for the deaf community.”
With the startup community being the source of some of the world’s most cutting-edge innovation, OPPO invited SolCold, a world leader in outdoor cooling coatings research and development, to share their experiences in innovation at VivaTech.
“Given the pressing issue of global warming, where the sun’s heat cannot be dissipated by our planet, our innovative solution can achieve outdoor cooling with zero carbon emissions by reflecting, converting, and releasing heat,” said Yaron Shenhav, chief executive officer and co-founder of SolCold. “Together with OPPO, we are now working on discovering additional uses for this innovative coating on mobile devices.”
In addition to giving a broader platform for startups to share their ideas, OPPO also takes the opportunity at VivaTech to share more about its own mission to create a better future for all. Through the annual Inspiration Challenge, OPPO is driving virtuous innovation by empowering technology professionals around the world to develop new solutions for people and the planet.
