Hack Award 2021

The “Hack Award” is a global business plan contest that matches entrepreneurs’ ideas and business models against one another. This year, up-and-coming startups that have gathered domestic and international interest in the “Smart City,” “Healthcare,” and “FoodTech” fields will be competing under the theme of Future Society.

Date

February 18, 2021 (Thu.) 15:00 – 16:30 (JST)

*Held as part of the Global Innovation Conference, Hack Osaka 2021. Schedule subject to change on the event day depending on conference progress.

*Award ceremony will be held after 17:00.

*Hack Award 2021 contestants will be invited to online business meetings with major corporations in Osaka/Kansai on February 24-25.

Venue

Online(EventHub)

Theme

Future Society (A Society that Actualizes Prosperous, Secure Lives and Sustainability)

Target Fields

“Smart City,” “Healthcare,” “FoodTech”

Target Products and Services

AI, IoT, VR/AR, robotics (automation), digital marketing, spatial monitoring, sensors, and services or products that utilize data analytics.

*Must introduce business models that contribute to open innovation in Osaka/Kansai such as through a format of collaboration with corporations in Osaka/Kansai.

Judging

On the event day, the judges will assess companies on a 10-point scale live based on the criteria below. The top 3 scoring companies will be awarded.

  • 1.Originality of the concept
  • 2.Reality of the concept
  • 3.Impact to the society
  • 4.Scalability towards the future

Notes

  • ・On the event day, pre-recorded video submitted by each contestants will be distributed on EventHub(Only in English).
  • ・Presentation time is 5 minutes.
  • ・Judges will host a real-time Q&A session (ONLINE) of up to 3 minutes per contestant on the event day.

Hack Award 2021 Winners

Award 2021

Gold

Breezi

Mr. Tim Seaton /U.S.A.

They provide IoT devices and software that help air conditioning systems operate more efficiently.

●Breezi -Comments-
On behalf of the entire Breezi team, I would like to thank the organizers and judges of the HACK Osaka 2021 event for an exceptional experience. As a result of the event, we met impressive companies in the Osaka area and we are very excited to bring our Smart Building technology to the Kansai region. We were inspired by the incredible startups with whom we shared the virtual stage and we are humbled and honored that the judging panel chose Breezi as the Gold Award winning startup. Thank you!

Silver

Michroma

Mr. Ricky Cassini /U.S.A.

They produce food ingredients in a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective way by biotechnology.

●Michroma -Comments-
I extend my sincere thanks for the award we received at Hack Award 2021, it is a great honor to be selected as one of the best startups in this challenging competition. This award particularly recognizes our efforts towards creating the future of ingredients production, we are one step closer to produce better and more sustainable ingredients for the world. We are really excited to collaborate with companies from Osaka to take our technology to the Japanese market. Hontoni arigato gozaimasu!

Bronze

CRUST Group Pte Ltd

Mr. Travin Singh, Mr. Jim Huang /シンガポール

They valorise food waste & loss into beverages for the food service and retail partners. Surplus ingredients like bread and fruit peels are reincarnated into craft beers etc.

●CRUST Group -Comments -
CRUST is privileged to share our story on Hack Osaka 2021 and humbled to be receiving 2 awards. We want to thank the executive committee, the organizer and sponsors for this amazing opportunity to grow our presence in Osaka.
Similar to Japan’s Net-Zero mission by 2050, CRUST is committed to reduce 1% of global food loss by 2030. Since 2019, CRUST has saved over 600KG of food loss, or reduced almost 14,000KG of greenhouse emission to prevent global warming.
Our ambitious goal to save the environment is possible only from working with many partners, so we hope to collaborate with Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, and organizations in Osaka to achieve SDG2, SDG13, and SDG17.
A special shout out to IBPC for great support to CRUST in Osaka and effort to create an eco-system focusing on sustainability. We look forward to solidifying this partnership with IBPC, O-BIC, and OCCI for many years ahead.
Thank you, Hack Osaka 2021 and let’s save our environment together!

O-BIC Prize

CRUST Group Pte Ltd

Mr. Li Shaohuan / Singapore

They valorise food waste & loss into beverages for the food service and retail partners. Surplus ingredients like bread and fruit peels are reincarnated into craft beers etc.

●CRUST Group -Comments -
CRUST is privileged to share our story on Hack Osaka 2021 and humbled to be receiving 2 awards. We want to thank the executive committee, the organizer and sponsors for this amazing opportunity to grow our presence in Osaka.
Similar to Japan’s Net-Zero mission by 2050, CRUST is committed to reduce 1% of global food loss by 2030. Since 2019, CRUST has saved over 600KG of food loss, or reduced almost 14,000KG of greenhouse emission to prevent global warming.
Our ambitious goal to save the environment is possible only from working with many partners, so we hope to collaborate with Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, and organizations in Osaka to achieve SDG2, SDG13, and SDG17.
A special shout out to IBPC for great support to CRUST in Osaka and effort to create an eco-system focusing on sustainability. We look forward to solidifying this partnership with IBPC, O-BIC, and OCCI for many years ahead.
Thank you, Hack Osaka 2021 and let’s save our environment together!

KGAP+Award

Voiceitt

Ms. Sara A. Smolley /Israel

They have developed automatic speech recognition technology designed to recognize non-standard speech patterns, enabling people with speech impairment to communicate by their own voice.

●Voiceitt -Comments-
Voiceitt is honored to have participated in the Osaka Hack Awards, and excited to expand our impact in Japan. The KGAP+ award provides the opportunity to accelerate Voiceitt's market entry and explore industry and clinical partnerships with strategic importance and value to our business.

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan/JETRO OSAKA Award

Brain Pool Tech

Mr. Cullen Owens /Singapore

They provide a platform that integrates high-resolution digital twins of large spaces, real time tracking and environmental sensors, to prepare, predict and respond to natural disasters etc.

●Brain Pool Tech -Comments-
We at Brain Pool Tech would like to thank Hack Osaka 2021 for the 2025 World Exposition award in Osaka, Japan. We look forward to the event.
Brain Pool Tech provides easy to use software that integrates digital twins of large spaces, real time tracking and IoT sensors, to prepare, predict and respond to natural disasters. We are an international group of data scientists, entrepreneurs, and software developers who believe 21st century technology should make life easier and safer.

Contestants

社名 参加者氏名 役職 事業内容 Field Area ウェブサイト 参加意思表明 面談希望先
No.1 Michroma They produce food ingredients in a sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective way by biotechnology. FoodTech USA
No.2 Breezi They provide IoT devices and software that help air conditioning systems operate more efficiently. Smart City USA
No.3 Voiceitt They have developed automatic speech recognition technology designed to recognize non-standard speech patterns, enabling people with speech impairment to communicate by their own voice. Healthcare Israel
No.4 HUMAN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES They provide affordable assistive technologies such as Smart Bionics and tele-rehabilitation systems, with the mission of improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Healthcare Mexico
No.5 Kazoo Technology They specialize in fusing together hardware and software elements into a seamless and pleasant experience. Smart City Hong Kong
No.6 Brain Pool Tech They provide a platform that integrates high-resolution digital twins of large spaces, real time tracking and environmental sensors, to prepare, predict and respond to natural disasters etc. Smart City Singapore
No.7 CRUST Group Pte Ltd They valorise food waste & loss into beverages for the food service and retail partners. Surplus ingredients like bread and fruit peels are reincarnated into craft beers etc. FoodTech Singapore
No.8 Aura Air They offer an all-in-one indoor and outdoor-air purification and quality intelligence system that filters and disinfects indoor air while monitoring its quality in real time. Healthcare Israel
No.9 AC Biode They have 2 types of catalysts: a chemical catalyst carbonates organic waste mixed with plastic on-site, only at 150C and zero emissions, "Platalyst" decomposes plastics on-site from polymer to monomer (R&D phase). Smart City Japan
No.10 Zeetta Networks They provide software products to simplify and automate network operations for better monitoring, control and management of enterprise networks. Smart City UK

Hack Award presenter requirements

Apply through the button below if you wish to present on-stage.

The application for Hack Award 2021 Contest has been closed.
Thank you for many applications.

Judges

  • Mr. Phillip Vincent

    Managing Partner & CEO of Plug and Play Japan

  • Mr. Joshua Flannery

    CEO of Rainmaking Innovation Japan LLC.

  • Mr. Allen Miner

    CEO of SunBridge Group

Past events & Award winners