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What’s your moonshot innovation to address the Global Grand Challenge of Learning that leverages exponential technology and has a potential to impact a billion people in 10 years?
2018 Winners
Left to right: Vinicius Gusmao and Raphael Rosa
Project: Medroom
Developing the world’s first serious virtual reality role-playing game for medical students.
Overview
The purpose of the SingularityU Brazil Global Impact Challenge is to foster moonshot innovations and startups that positively impact the lives of people living in Brazil, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years.
What moonshot innovation would you develop to solve a global grand challenge (environment, energy, water, food, health, disaster resilience, governance, learning, space, security, prosperity, and shelter) using exponential technology that would impact the lives of a billion people in the next 10 years?
Why Host a Global Impact Challenge in Brazil?
Learning continues to be a tough challenge for Brazil. Despite various efforts over the last decade, 17% of our adult population has not finished primary education1, and 23% of the population is functionally illiterate2.
Exponential technologies are changing the speed and the need for new knowledge, skills and competencies. Therefore, we need bold and innovative ideas to bolster Brazilians’ ability to educate themselves, while learning in formal as well as in informal environments.
We’d love to hear your ideas on how schools, universities, companies and Edtech organizations can innovate in learning.
Join the challenge! Apply by submitting your moonshot idea to transform 10 million+ Brazilians into active and self-directed lifelong learners over the next 5-10 years, through the use of exponential technologies.
The Prize
The winner receives a seat at SU Ventures Incubator program. The Incubator Program is a 10-week program that fosters the development of viable start-ups (for profit or not-for profit).
The SU Ventures Incubator Program runs from September 3 – November 9, 2018.
The Incubator Program Journey
Dates and timeline
Applications open: May 16, 2018
Applications close: June 15, 2018
Announcement of Semi-Finalists:
(Six applicants will be selected; two will be chosen)
- Recife: June 25, 2018
- São Paulo: June 26, 2018
- Porto Alegre: June 28, 2018
Final Pitch Event & Winners announced: July 10, 2018
Sponsored by:
Rules & Criteria
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- You must be a citizen or resident of Brazil
- You must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application
- You must be fluent in written and spoken English
- You must be able to attend the entire SU Ventures Incubator Program (September 3 – November 9, 2018)
We look for people from all professional backgrounds, but will be really thrilled to find you if:
- You’re a founder of an idea-stage startup or an individual with a moonshot idea
- You’re an accomplished entrepreneur, technologist, scientist, or change agent with expertise in your chosen field(s)
- You’re already considering how to leverage exponential technologies to create positive impact in the world
- You’re committed to the long-term journey of launching an impact-focused startup
- Degree of solution’s relevance to the theme of the challenge
- The regional relevance in solving the challenge in Brazil
- Feasibility, Viability and Coherence of implementing the idea
- Entrepreneurial and innovative potential, with a focus on technological novelty
- Applicant’s leadership experience and quality, profile, achievements, and potential
- CV/Resume
- Summary of accomplishments
- An abstract of the project idea
- Within the abstract, describe and detail the following: your idea and problem/opportunity you are addressing, your solution and long-term impact, applied technology for your solution, and your business model
- A video URL of the project idea
- Applications open: May 16, 2018
- Applications close: June 15, 2018
- Announcement of Semi-Finalists: (Six applicants will be selected; two will be chosen)
- Recife: June 25, 2018
- São Paulo: June 26, 2018
- Porto Alegre: June 28, 2018
- Final Pitch Event & Winners announced: July 10, 2018
GIC Organizing Team
Conrado Schlochauer
Co-Founder, Affero Lab
EP 2017, EIP 2017, Re)Solve Learning 2017, SingularityU Brasil Summit 2018, SingularityU São Paulo Chapter Ambassador 2016-2018
Onicio Batista Leal Neto
CEO, Epitrack
EP 2016, SU Global Summit 2017, SingularityU Brasil Summit 2018, SingularityU Chapter Ambassador 2016-2018
Renato Cunha
Country Manager, Brainomix Ltd.
EP 2014, SingularityU Chapter Ambassador Porto Alegre Chapter
Mariana Nacarato de Sousa
CMO, Epitrack
SingularityU Recife Chapter Leadership
Raul Evangelista
Project Manager, IBM
SingularityU São Paulo Chapter Leadership
Frequently Asked Questions
Global Impact Challenges (GICs) are annual incentive competitions held in partnership with sponsor organizations worldwide and organized by geography and theme. These challenges act as a platform to identify outstanding entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, and engineers with the most innovative ideas for moonshot innovations and startups that can positively impact a billion people in 10 years. The winner of each challenge receives a full sponsorship to attend an SU program.
We are looking for early-phase startup ideas or individuals with a moonshot ideas. Judging criteria is based on the grandness of the idea—such as whether it solves a problem with a potential to positively impact millions of people, technological novelty, viability of implementing it and applicants leadership potential.
If you’re a later-stage venture, check out the SU Ventures program.
Intellectual property resulting from a GIC belongs to the applicant(s).
The selection process has 2-3 phases, depending on the GIC. The first phase involves a review of all applications to determine 5-10 finalists, and the second phase involves final judging to select the winner at a pitch event.
The GIC Brazil team will cover the air travel expenses to and from SU.
In all cases where a GIC winner cannot attend the SU Ventures Incubator program, the winner forfeits his or her seat to the first runner-up and would then need to reapply for admission in a future year.
Still have questions?
Reach out to the Brazil GIC team at brazil@gic.su.org, or contact the Global Impact Challenges team at SU at gic@su.org.