The Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Misk Foundation concluded, yesterday in Riyadh, an eighty-four-hour long Hackathon Challenge, yielding the creation of 32 medical apps that will help save lives and heal patients through innovative ways that meet local Saudi needs at global standards.
The winning teams of the Misk Hackathon Challenge were honored yesterday evening in Riyadh, in the presence of the Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and the Secretary General of Misk Foundation, Bader Alasaker.
Following an intense competition between the teams, three teams emerged as the Hackathon winners, earning three monetary prizes. The first prize winner, Team Limitless, was granted a cash prize of 100 thousand dollars for creating an app that connects blood seekers to blood donors, and thus bypasses the locally known traditional methods, while providing a continuously updated medical database listing the different blood types and needs. Furthermore, the app is connected to car companies to take the seeker or the donor to the nearest hospital.
Team Limitless is comprised of eight members: Salman Alarifi, Monira Alhasan, Tareq Sangorah, Ibrahim Khalifa, Mazen Rukayni, Ahmed Isam, Faten Bader, and Riham Alobeidan.
Team Falcon, the second prize winner, was awarded 50 thousand dollars for creating a home robot that cares for young and elderly patients in particular, giving them automatic reminders to take their medications, along with appropriate dosages. It also reminds them if they go too long without taking their medication, and maintains direct computer communication with the specialized physician in charge of the case, giving a detailed medical history about the patient’s progress in terms of taking the medication.
The third prize was granted to Team Brain Balance, which received a cash prize of 35 thousand dollars for the creation of a wrist bracelet that tracks stress levels in individuals and records them continuously, providing a psychological medical history based on accurate statistical readings, which physicians can use later on.
Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of Health, attended the Awards Ceremony, after which he took a quick tour to meet a number of participating teams and learn about their innovations up close. He also confirmed that the forums organized by Misk Foundation are unique and motivational, and most importantly they keep up with the aspirations of the new generation on one hand, and the new innovative, knowledge-based economy that the world is witnessing today on the other.
The Hackathon Challenge was host to a number of new ideas and apps, and while three teams won the first three places, development and investment opportunities are still open for other projects that emerged through the Misk Hackathon Challenge. Investors specialized in apps and the medical field have expressed their interest and aspirations to purchase the rights and develop a number of innovative projects coming out of the Hackathon Challenge.
