Google has announced the finalists of this year’s Google Impact Challenge Australia, a competition that sees not-for-profits competing for a $500,000 grant.
This year marks the first time the challenge has taken place in Australia, launching in July after a successful run in Brazil, India, and the United States.
The ten not-for-profits cover a wide range of areas, from animal protection to solar energy.
The finalists include The Fred Hollows Foundation, who will develop a tablet device capable of taking high-quality photos of the back of the eye, checking for blinding damage caused by diabetes; the Penguin Foundation, who intend to put forward an operational oil removal kit to improve the survival of sea birds contaminated with oil; and the Alternative Technology Association, who will install low cost solar lighting systems in East Timorese homes without electricity.
The top three projects are to be chosen by a group of judges, which include former Australian Cricket captain Glenn McGrath and former News Corp executive Kim Williams, while the fourth successful project is to be decided in conjunction with the public.
Voting closes at midnight on October 13. All the winners will be announced on October 14.
