5 finalists announced in the UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge

UpPrize is down to five.

On Thursday, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania announced the finalists in its UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge, a competition to find impactful technology that bridges the gap between the nonprofit and entrepreneurial communities.

Each of the finalists will receive a $10,000 grant to help make their dreams a reality. They will pitch their ideas to a panel of local judges for an opportunity to secure grants totaling $300,000. Three winners will be announced live at the UpPrize Final Showcase on March 5 at the Carnegie Science Center. The event is open to the public.

UpPrize was developed in 2015 to increase the number of technology-based solutions addressing unmet societal needs. Since then, it has awarded more than $2 million in investments, grants and technical assistance. The challenge is administered by Innovation Works, which provides seed funding and business assistance, expertise and other resources to high-potential tech startup companies.

Between August and October 2019, BYN Mellon received 200 applications from individuals, nonprofits and startup companies. To qualify, applicants had to submit a prototype product, tool or service with a tech component that is both inclusive and accessible and could get off the ground in 18 months, says Erica Friedman, business development associate for Innovation Works.

Ten semifinalists went through an “entrepreneurial boot camp” where they learned the fundamentals of introducing a new product, tool or service to the public.

Past winners include TalkMeUp, an artificial intelligence-based software that provides on-demand, customized and cost-effective communications training for organizations, and C.C. Busy, a company that develops software and training to automate documentation for home-based child care providers.

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