Winning teams from Hexaware Technologies, Persistent, and The University of Sydney develop AI-powered solutions to help overcome sustainability challenges

BOULDER, CO., Dec. 6, 2023  – Today, Call for Code Creator, David Clark Cause, Founding Partner IBM (NYSE: IBM), Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights, and Program Affiliate the Linux Foundation announced the winners of the sixth annual Call for Code Global Challenge, which invited innovators across the globe to develop AI-powered technology projects that address sustainability to help fight climate change. This year’s top prizes went to team AGNO, Phyto and team Synergy Squad, all of which used technologies like IBM watsonx and IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite, to address agricultural issues ranging from contaminated soil and crop management to food waste.

“This year we introduced a new, always-on format for Call for Code that gives developers at every stage of their career – from students to seasoned professionals – more opportunities to participate, gain skills, and build sustainable solutions,” said David Clark, founder and CEO of Call for Code. "Congratulations to the 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge winning teams, who continue to play a crucial role in bringing solutions to market that tackle today’s most pressing sustainability issues.”

2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Winning Teams

This year, to help developers make an even greater impact, Call for Code transitioned from a single, annual global challenge to quarterly “Challenge Rounds” throughout the year. Winners from each round moved on to the Grand Prize round, where one winning team was determined from each of Call for Code’s Developer, University, and Independent Software Vendor/Startup categories. The Grand Prize winning teams listed below will each receive $50,000 USD, as well as solution implementation support from the Call for Code ecosystem, as applicable. The developer and university winners will receive assistance from the Linux Foundation to open source their application.

• The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Developer Winner is AGNO, a team from Hexaware Technologies who developed the FARMISTAR platform built with watsonx.ai and IBM watsonx Assistant. The team aims to help small farmers stay up to date with weather forecasts and AI-driven crop management strategies.
• The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge University Winner is Phyto, a group of students from The University of Sydney who used IBM Watson Studio and the IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite to build an AI-powered geospatial and weather analytics tool designed to help farmers rehabilitate contaminated soil naturally.
• ·The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge Independent Software Vendor/Startup Winner is Synergy Squad, a team from Persistent who built Offshelf, an IBM Watson Speech to Text powered solution designed to help households reduce food waste. Through the platform, people will receive notifications before a product expires to notify them that a food item needs to be used by a specific date.

“Over the past six years, Call for Code has inspired developers and problem solvers worldwide to build solutions that tackle issues core to our planet such as sustainable farming practices, water quality, and clean energy,” said Kate Woolley, general manager, IBM Ecosystem. “I would like to congratulate today’s winners, and all the 2023 Call for Code participants, who have shown how new technologies such as IBM watsonx can be harnessed to create projects that have the potential to drive lasting change for our planet.”

Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has become an annual rally call for developers around the world to come together and think creatively about how to help solve the world’s largest problems with technology. Call for Code helps participants gain skills in AI and hybrid cloud technology by offering access to build with technology like IBM watsonx, Red Hat OpenShift and IBM Cloud. IBM Ecosystem partners provide subject matter expertise that can help teams advance their solutions, as well as encourage employee participation.

About Call for Code

Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark, the CEO of David Clark Cause, created Call for Code in 2018, and launched it alongside Founding Partner IBM and Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights. In 2022 Call for Code was selected as the preferred innovation platform for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the largest public/private initiative in the world promoting climate justice. 

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