The 17th World Summit Awards (WSA) Global Congress, recently held in the vibrant city of Puebla, Mexico, was a beacon of knowledge and innovation that showcased 45 WSA winners from around the world, each presenting their groundbreaking digital solutions and their potential for profound societal impact.

The event brought together a variety of brilliant minds, ranging from lesser-known trailblazers to Nobel laureates, pioneering tech unicorns, local solution providers, global governments, and responsible citizens. The winning solutions showcased remarkable diversity, addressing issues from enhancing citizen participation in Nigerian governance to providing immersive sensory experiences of Mexican art and streamlining logistics for small-scale retailers in Namibia.

Out of the 45 winning solutions, eight Global Champions were crowned at the spectacular WSA Award Ceremony in Puebla. Two Australian solutions stood out among the winners, both earning the title of Global Champions.

Stymie, under the category of Health & Well-being, offers an anonymous online platform for students to report harm happening to them or others, particularly in cases of cyberbullying, sextortion or child exploitation. BindiMaps, falling under Smart Settlements & Urbanization, is a mobile app that uses natural language audio to guide users in navigating indoor spaces, proving especially life-changing for those with accessibility needs.

“Being celebrated as a Global Champion and representing Australia, and BindiMaps, at the WSA Global Congress in Mexico was an unforgettable experience filled with inspiration and connection. It was an honour to showcase BindiMaps on an international stage, surrounded by fellow startup founders and seasoned entrepreneurs from around the world,” said Mladen Jovanovic, BindiMaps Co-Founder and CCO.

The WSA Global Congress, spanning three days, was a fusion of inspiration, innovation, and interactive sessions, spotlighting compelling keynotes, entrepreneur stories, and pitches from the 45 WSA-winning teams of 2022.

“The Global Congress served as a powerful platform for cross-cultural exchange, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of collaboration and learning. It was exciting to see so many social impact startups solving some of our world’s most complex problems, and it reaffirmed the importance of harnessing technology for positive change,” said Mladen. “This experience will forever remain etched in my memory as a testament to the incredible achievements and aspirations of our global entrepreneurial community”.

The World Summit Awards (WSA) uniquely identifies and promotes the world’s best digital innovations with societal impact. The WSA has been championing innovative digital content that positively impacts society for 20 years.

The recently concluded WSA Global Congress highlighted the urgent need for digital accessibility. Sachi Wickramage, the WSA Grand Jury Member and WSA National Expert for Australia emphasised that the journey to bridge the digital divide has just begun and calls for collective, sustained efforts.

“Being with the World Summit Awards since 2015, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the positive impact that WSA can have on digital impact makers from around the world firsthand,” said Sachi. “WSA provides the world’s best platform for digital innovators and impact makers to showcase their work on a global stage each year. It is extremely inspiring to see the creative and innovative ways in which technology is used to solve some of the biggest problems that we face today. By recognising and promoting digital impact makers, WSA helps to build a community of changemakers who are using technology to create positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes”.

The WSA Global Congress 2023 was a celebration of digital innovation and its potential to create a more accessible and inclusive world. The success stories of Australian innovations like BindiMaps and Stymie serve as an inspiring testament to the role digital innovation can play in achieving the UN SDGs.

As we celebrate these Australian achievements, we are thrilled to announce that the WSA Australian application process for 2023 has officially begun.

If you’re an Australian with a digital solution poised to tackle a local issue, this is your opportunity to shine on a global stage, bring about meaningful change, and potentially follow in the inspiring footsteps of Stymie and Bindi Maps. Let’s continue to showcase the ingenuity and creativity of Australia’s changemakers and work together towards a more sustainable, inclusive and digitally empowered world – Apply now for 2023 World Summit Awards Australia!