The Spanish startups Medicsen and Rosita, as well as Irish startup Mobility Mojo, have qualified for the final of the fourth Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards
The startups that have qualified for the final of the fourth Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards are: Medicsen, the first needle-free drug delivery device; Rosita, a coach that helps older people prepare for longevity and; Mobility Mojo, an independent global system for rating hotel accessibility. They will each represent Europe in three very topical and influential areas, which are also the focus of the work carried out by Fundación MAPFRE: improving e-health, accident prevention and safe and sustainable mobility, and the economics of aging (Ageingnomics).
The judging panel for each region primarily consisted of experts from the social innovation, impact and entrepreneurship ecosystem, and representatives from Fundación MAPFRE and IE University, who assessed the social impact and degree of innovation of the entries, as well as the practicability of the projects.
The competition attracted more than 300 initiatives created by scientists, researchers, and university and business school students — 28 percent more entries than last year, which reflects the increasingly active role being played by social innovators and entrepreneurs.
They will compete with innovators from Brazil and the rest of Latin America
Designed as a contest across three geographical regions—Brazil, the rest of Latin America and Europe—the aim of the Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards is to back the development of proposals that capture the essence of social innovation, skill, transformative capacity, commitment, and the need to improve the world around us.
On May 12, the three European finalists will participate alongside the entrepreneurs who qualified in the semifinals in Brazil and Latin America. Tele-Ecografía para todos (Peru), a remote and asynchronous ultrasound scanning system that allows pathologies to be diagnosed without a specialist having to be physically present and removes the need for bandwidth; Seniorpal (Colombia), an initiative that offers disruptive experiences in multi-generational environments that aims to use technology to empower older people to live life to the fullest; Wheel The World (Chile), a platform that enables users with disabilities to find and book fully accessible travel experiences; Fleximedical (Brazil), mobile and portable healthcare units, tailored to specific needs, that bring medical assistance to disadvantaged communities; Labora (Brazil), a platform for breaking down barriers to accelerate the incorporation of generational diversity into companies; ArejaBus (Brazil), a hybrid ventilation system that uses the movement of the bus itself to improve the thermal sensation and air quality of urban public transport, an environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative to the common air conditioning system.
The finalists will gain access to different channels to promote their projects, which will help to spread awareness. The candidates also receive support, advice and help to promote and develop their proposals in the most effective way thanks to the coaching for finalists provided by IE University.
