The winners of the Global Smart City Innovation Challenge for Vietnam (SCIC) competition were recently announced:
- First prize ($5,000) – GridComm – “Smart street lights for cities” – an optimized network over a city’s power lines, connecting sensors capable of instant communication. Sensors are used to measure weather, pollution, and traffic, and incorporate street light control software that saves millions of dollars in electricity and maintenance costs;
- Second Prize ($3,000) – XRVision – “Facial recognition software in uncontrolled environments” – specifically designed for uncontrolled mobile environments, it uses advanced image and video analytics, sensor fusion, sense-making, and 3D based FR. With this technology, XRVision is able to achieve 75% recognition rate, compared to industry’s standard of 25%, under uncontrolled mobile environments;
- Third Prize (2,000) – MimosaTek – “High-tech agriculture startup on providing an irrigation solution for crops” – an integrated system of sensors, controller, and a cloud platform with an algorithm that helps farmers monitor their crops.
In addition to the cash prizes, the three teams will have the opportunity to participate in the cities’ acceleration programs, be matched with program mentors, and will work directly with the Steering Committee for smart cities in Vietnam and the local authorities.
The SCIC competition, run by the Mekong Business Initiative (MBI), in cooperation with The National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development (NATEC-MOST), the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, the Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES) and the Vietnam Angel Investor Network (iAngel), aims to discover global technology solutions with the potential of handling urban issues in provinces and cities across Vietnam.
