SAN JOSE, CA --(Marketwired - September 14, 2016) - Since 2000, The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials, Inc., has honored 287 innovators who have improved the lives of more than 2 billion people through the use of technology. This fall, Silicon Valley's leading awards program will honor the best of the best among this distinguished group of Tech Awards laureates.
The 16th annual Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation, will take place on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. Often referred to as "the Oscars of Silicon Valley," the gala will include a retrospective on the program's history and will honor seven laureates from the past who have made great strides in solving some of the world's biggest problems.
Among the seven former laureates to be honored at the gala is PATH, an international leader in health innovation, which will be named the third recipient of the prestigious Laureate Impact Award. PATH specializes in vaccines, disease treatment and women and children's health. Since first being honored by The Tech Awards in 2003, the nonprofit has made enormous progress in global health care, reaching more than 150 million people each year.
"PATH will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year and should be an example to anyone who sets out to do good in the world," said Tim Ritchie, president and CEO of The Tech. "PATH never stops looking for new ways to make a difference. Through innovation, partnership and a tireless heart, it has accomplished life-saving advances in health care for those who need them most."
"As a founder of the Tech Awards, Applied Materials is pleased to recognize the incredible contributions of the many laureates over the years," said Gary Dickerson, president and CEO of Applied Materials. "What unites these creative entrepreneurs is their passion to address the world's most pressing challenges through technology. They give hope to those most in need and inspiration to a new generation of Silicon Valley innovators."
This year's six other returning laureates have profoundly improved the lives of impoverished and marginalized people around the world in a variety of ways.
- Angaza is a solar energy nonprofit that is revolutionizing how people pay for clean energy.
- D-Rev has designed and produced medical technology that treated more than 100,000 babies with severe jaundice in 2015.
- Equal Access is a nonprofit that reaches nearly 70 million homes in emerging markets such as Afghanistan and Nepal with educational media content.
- IDE-India invented a low-cost drip irrigation system and foot-powered water pump that have created more than $1.4 billion in additional net income for farmers in India.
- Souktel created a job market platform for basic phones that has grown to more than a million users in 30 emerging markets.
- Source International travels to remote communities around the world that have been negatively affected by mining operations and provides scientific evidence of the damage done to people and the environment.
"If not for The Tech Awards, we would not have gotten our company off the ground," said Lesley Marincola, the founder and CEO of Angaza. "The Tech Awards came at a turning point for Angaza and gave us both the funding we needed to kick off our first large financing round and the international recognition that gave others the confidence to back a young entrepreneur."
The seven laureate honorees will receive cash awards totaling $300,000 on the night of the gala. During their three-day stay in Silicon Valley, representatives from the honorees will engage in specialized workshops, dine with local social innovators, network with leaders in tech and venture capital and learn from their fellow laureates.
2016 Laureate Impact Award
PATH
A leader in global health innovation, PATH reaches more than 150 million people a year with lifesaving technologies. PATH was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
2016 Tech Awards Laureates
Intel Environment Award
Source International
Provides on-the-ground technical and scientific support to allow local communities to hold mining and oil extraction companies accountable for pollution and illness. Source International was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2014.
Microsoft Education Award
Equal Access
Reaches 67 million households in nine countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East with informative and educational media programs that address critical challenges, especially those focused on women's rights and education. Equal Access was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2003.
PayPal Equality Award
Souktel
Helps reduce unemployment by connecting employers and job seekers with a matchmaking platform that works on basic phones, reaching 1 million users in 30 emerging markets around the world. Souktel was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2010.
Katherine M. Swanson Young Innovator Award
Angaza
Removes the upfront price barrier of solar energy products, enabling off-grid customers to prepay for clean energy in affordable amounts. Angaza was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2012.
Sobrato Organization Economic Development Award
IDE-India
Invented a low-cost drip irrigation system and foot-powered water pump, which currently reach 1.38 million households and 7.4 million people in India, leading to cumulative additional net income generation exceeding $1.4 billion. IDE-India was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2004 and 2010.
Health Award
D-Rev
Designs and delivers medical technologies for underserved populations, treating more than 100,000 babies with severe jaundice in 2015. D-Rev was named a Tech Awards laureate in 2013.
For more information visit: www.thetech.org/tech-awards-presented-applied-materials
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Intel, Microsoft, The Sobrato Organization, The Swanson Family, PayPal, Qatalyst Partners, Qualcomm, Adobe, NASDAQ Inc., Accenture, Bank of America, Ernst & Young, GoDaddy, KPMG and Charmaine and Dan Warmenhoven.
About the Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum -- located in the Capital of Silicon Valley -- is a non-profit experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. The Tech's mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone.
About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (
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Media Contact: Jeff Gire Communications Manager 1-408-802-3397 jgire@thetech.org
