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Eden Strategy Institute at Social Innovation Camp Asia

Eden Strategy Institute at Social Innovation Camp Asia

Social Innovation Camp started five years ago in the UK and has since then been run in 16 countries globally from which over 30 new technology-based social ventures have been created, with 12 receiving further funding, investment or significant in-kind support just in the UK alone.

Social Innovation Camp Asia (SI Camp Asia) was launched in Kuala Lumpur on 9 – 11 November, and some of SE Asia’s best software developers and designers worked over 48 hours to build web/mobile-based solutions to pressing social problems.

Participants of Social Innovation Camp Asia 2012

The months of preparation leading up to SI Camp Asia positioned it very differently from other events, contributing to the enthusiastic response received. Mr. Andrew Tan, the organiser of SI Camp Asia, said,”The timing was right for something like SI Camp and I also believe we were able to fill a gap that was already there. It was mind-blowing, inspiring, and exceed any expectation that I might have had.”

The event saw the following 6 ideas being selected for development from an overwhelming 140 entries from across the region:

1. All the finalists are winners, but ThatApp came out tops through the judging process.  This is a mobile application that  helps young people learn about sex, and aims to introduce a game format to sexual health education.

2. Find Art is a mobile application whose users can take photos of street art and share them with their social networks and users in the vicinity, using a creative scavenger hunt game to encourage people to find and appreciate art.

3. Rare Genomics Asia helps people with rare genetic diseases raise funding, obtain access to gene sequencing services so patients can receive a diagnosis, and gives clinician-scientists access to these rare genes for research.

4. Bookbag is a shopping platform that allows used books to be categorised and donated effectively to the needy.

5. Blood Donors Network aims to build a network of blood donors in the Philippines to help families in emergency situations where blood supply is unavailable.

6.  Civic Ticket is a location-based mobile app that lets citizens take photos of and report damaged civic infrastructure to the relevant authorities in Malaysia.

Eden Strategy Institute Partner Mr. Calvin Chu Yee Ming joined a team of fellow mentors and judges at the event, that included Mr. Glen Mehn, Managing Director at SI CAMP; Raiyo Nariman, APAC Regional Manager at Angels Den; Mr. Teddy Zmrhal, Practice Lead at IDEO; Mr. Vinnie Lauria, Partner at Golden Gate Ventures; Ms. Sue Kim, Co-founder of Libbler; and Mr. Sunit Shrestha, Managing Director at ChangeFusion.

“We are frequently asked to help out at hackathon-style events, but SI Camp Asia has really impressed us with the caliber of the teams and ideas, as well as the quality of the volunteers, sponsors, specialists, and mentors. We are so proud to be a part of this regional movement, and look forward very much to welcoming the winners to their immersion program with us in Singapore in 2013,” he said.