2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Winners Revealed

The Call for Code Global Challenge, now in its sixth year, began in February with the mission to develop artificial intelligence technologies that promote sustainability and combat climate change. IBM, United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation have just disclosed the victors in the Developer, University, and Independent Software Vendor/Startup groups.

Introducing the Champions

This year's contest experienced a fresh twist, evolving from an annual event to a series of 'Challenge Rounds' held quarterly. The top teams from these rounds advanced to the Grand Prize round, where they competed for the top position in their respective categories.

"This year, we introduced a new format for Call for Code, which gives developers, from students to experts, more chances to contribute at any time, to build skills, and to craft solutions focused on sustainability," explained David Clark, the founder and CEO of Call for Code.

Meet the Winning Innovators

The Developer award went to AGNO from Hexaware Technologies, who created FARMISTAR, a platform that employs Watson AI to help small-scale farmers with weather predictions and AI-guided crop management advice.

The University accolade was clinched by Phyto, a team from The University of Sydney, who harnessed IBM Watson's capabilities to develop a tool aimed at assisting farmers to restore polluted soil using natural methods.

Finally, in the Independent Software Vendor/Startup category, the Synergy Squad from Persitent prevailed with Offshelf, a platform which utilizes IBM Watson's Speech to Text service to help households mitigate food waste by alerting them about the expiry dates of their groceries.

"Over six years, Call for Code has motivated developers around the world to come up with innovations that are critical for our planet, including solutions for sustainable agriculture, water purity, and renewable energy," said Kate Woolley, IBM Ecosystem's general manager. "I want to congratulate all of today's winners and participants of the 2023 Call for Code, who have demonstrated the incredible potential of new tech like IBM Watson to foster meaningful and enduring environmental change."

technology, sustainability, innovation