12 Months of Innovation - May

As part of our ongoing series, "12 Months of Innovation," we are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of our standout contributors for May. Each month, we recognize a customer, a solver, and a start-up who have demonstrated exceptional innovation and commitment to pushing the boundaries in their respective fields.

Customer of the Month: Angelini Pharma

This May, Angelini Pharma shines as our Customer of the Month with their groundbreaking Epilepsy Challenge. Held in collaboration with Wazoku, the challenge titled ‘New Digital Approaches to Target Discovery in Epilepsy’ was their first open innovation challenge in years. Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide, with about one-third experiencing drug-resistant seizures. Angelini Pharma's initiative invited global solvers and experts to submit innovative digital approaches to improve target identification for epilepsy, aiming to advance treatments, especially for drug-resistant cases.

Rafal Kaminski , Chief Scientific Officer at Angelini Pharma, emphasized the challenge's significance, stating, “The identification of the right drug target remains challenging, particularly for brain diseases. However, digital approaches for better target identification are progressing rapidly. With this Challenge, we are seeking innovative ideas to make progress in Brain Health by leveraging the power of a global community with particular focus on drug-resistant epilepsy.”

The Challenge offered awards up to US$45,000, encouraging Solvers to present new methods for collecting and integrating diverse data types, as well as novel algorithms and tools to enhance epilepsy target selection. The global response was impressive, with submissions from five continents, all joining Angelini’s mission to innovate in epilepsy treatment. Dino Ribic , Innovation Consultant at Wazoku, remarked on the value of open innovation, highlighting its role in addressing various healthcare challenges.

Start-Up of the Month: Rainbird

Rainbird Technologies has been recognized as the Start-Up of the Month for May, following their participation in HM Revenue & Customs ’s Payment Processing Challenge. HMRC sought innovative solutions to automate and enhance their payment processing, aiming to reduce or eliminate the need for manual intervention. Rainbird's platform stood out for its AI-powered decision intelligence, combining human expertise with advanced machine learning.

Founded by James Duez and Ben Taylor, Rainbird distinguishes itself with its explainable and traceable AI reasoning engines. Unlike many generative AI models that lack transparency, Rainbird’s platform provides a clear chain of reasoning and evidence for each automated decision, ensuring reliable and understandable outcomes. Their technology has already proven effective, as demonstrated by UK-based law firm DAC Beachcroft, which saw a 500% increase in fraud detection and faster client onboarding using Rainbird’s platform.

We proudly highlight Rainbird’s innovative contributions to AI and automation and congratulate Duez, Taylor, and the entire Rainbird team for their remarkable achievements.

Solver of the Month: Samuel Kamunyu Karuru and Reginah Onyango

Samuel Kamunyu and REGINAH ONYANGO PMP?, PMI-ACP are celebrated as the Solvers of the Month for their outstanding solution in the International Rescue Committee ’s (IRC) Last Mile Challenge. The IRC sought new ways to ensure medical supplies reach rural communities more effectively. Previous methods, which included using trucks to deliver cardboard boxes, often resulted in damaged goods or temperature-sensitive items being compromised.

From July to October 2023, 92 proposals were submitted from 33 countries, and from nine finalists, Karuru and Onyango emerged victorious, winning the US$25,000 prize. Samuel, a joint Master’s student at ETH Zurich and Ashesi University, led the team with his strong engineering background. Reginah, a mechanical engineer and Vehicle Production Manager in Kigali, Rwanda, brought extensive experience in project management and design.

Their innovative solution for stronger, safer, and trackable packaging is designed to overcome previous challenges, improving the distribution success of medical supplies to those in need. Karuru expressed his determination and satisfaction with their achievement, stating, “Learning about the Challenge, I had never been so convinced I should get something done. It was very rewarding when we settled on our final idea, but learning about the win was just incredible.” Onyango added, “It was very fulfilling to have a design that we both had a lot of confidence in after putting in many hours. We are eagerly anticipating new Challenges from the IRC, SeaFreight Labs, and Wazoku.”

Congratulations to Samuel and Reginah for their innovative solution and dedication to improving global healthcare delivery.

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