The Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project (WIP) launched in 2009 with the idea and spirit to harness the power of wireless technology to create lasting change and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. What began as a risky and unconventional initiative for a nonprofit foundation ultimately became a model that many other organizations would follow. Today, there are many innovation competitions focused on social impact around the world, but at the time, this approach was both pioneering and ambitious.
What made the Wireless Innovation Project unique was its focus on identifying entrepreneurs at precisely the right stage of development—not at the concept stage, but at the critical point where ideas had been designed, tested, and ready to be validated to enter the marketplace. This “sweet spot” allowed our support to have the greatest possible impact.
Reflecting the broader Vodafone Foundations’ philosophy of Connecting for Good, the Vodafone Americas Foundation awarded more than $6.1 million in grants to 30 groundbreaking innovations, where these technologies have positively impacted more than 60 million lives across 40 countries during its ten-year history. Some of these innovations have grown into successful companies that continue to expand their reach and save even more lives. Others have been acquired or merged with established organizations, enabling them to scale even further. Still others continue to advance through academic research, laying the foundation for future breakthroughs.
The success of the Wireless Innovation Project would not have been possible without the dedication of many individuals. We owe particular thanks to our Vodafone Chief Scientist, Stanley Chia, whose thoughtful technical guidance, unwavering commitment to scientific integrity, and patient mentorship helped shape the competition throughout its ten-year history. We are equally grateful to our Board Members, whose vision, persistence, and steadfast belief in the program allowed this innovative concept to flourish. Together, they demonstrated that investing in innovation—and in people with bold ideas—can create lasting, measurable change for communities around the world.
As the Vodafone Americas Foundation closes this chapter, the legacy of the Wireless Innovation Project lives on through the entrepreneurs it empowered, the technologies it accelerated, and the millions of lives that continue to benefit from their innovations. It stands as a testament to what is possible when technology, purpose, and perseverance come together to create meaningful social impact.
Active WIP winners
12 of the 30 WIP winners show commercialization (product updates, deployments, or current operations)
ColdTrace from Nexleaf Analytics
WIP winner 2013
Eligible for employee voting
A remote temperature monitoring and analytics platform that transforms standard vaccine refrigerators into smart systems. It provides real-time data, instant problem alerts, and equipment management to safeguard life-saving vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Women founded wireless temperature monitoryingsystem that ensures vaccines remain intact during storage and transport.
- 2025 highlight: 30,700+ clinics connected in 36 countries; 17,000+ health workers receiving real-time alerts.
- Reported protecting vaccine supply for 86M+ children and $5B+ in vaccine investments since 2022.
- Multiple country partnerships (e.g., Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda) where ColdTracehas been integrated into immunization infrastructure.
30,700+
Clinics connected (2025)
36
Countries with deployments
17,000+
Health workers receiving alerts
$5B+
Vaccine resources protected (since 2022)
Neopenda
WIP winner 2016
Improves newborn health through innovative technology solutions, and implementing them sustainably in emerging markets. Neopenda’s first product is a scalable wireless vital signs monitor for patients in overcrowded, understaffed health facilities.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Women founded wearable neonatal vital monitoring system designed for low-resource hospitals.
- neoGuardis commercially available and focused on continuous monitoring in resource-constrained facilities.
- Reported: 35,000+ hours of monitoring across 2,000+ patients; active use in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana.
35,000+ hrs
Monitoring time (reported)
2,000+
Patients monitored (reported)
3
Countries referenced
info@neopenda.com
Contact
DreamSave from DreamStart Labs
WIP winner 2017
A mobile fintech app designed to digitize and simplify informal community savings groups in unbanked and developing regions. It replaces paper records, eliminates manual calculation errors, and helps users build formal credit histories.
749
Pilot groups (2024)
16,420
Pilot members (2024)
70%
Women in pilot
30+ countries
Regions supported
Tala formerly InVenture
WIP winner 2012
A financial platform that bridges digital and cash ecosystems to deliver instant access to credit, payments, savings, and transfer services to millions of customers on three continents.
34M+
Customers (reported)
$6B
Credit provided (reported)
3 continents
Footprint
tala.co
website
EyeNetra
WIP winner 2011
Pairing cutting-edge technology with smartphones, EyeNetra provides vision testing tools for Eye Care Professionals to deliver top-notch service to anyone, anywhere through mobile refractive clinics, screening events, or workplace testing.
140+
Countries used (stated)
Refraction testing
Core capability
Portable kit
Form factor
eyenetra.com
Website
Liger Medical formerly MobileODT
WIP winner 2014
Innovative medical devices designed to support effective cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment with reliable, accessible, and globally trusted healthcare solutions.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- MobileODTis a smartphone-based, low-cost cervical cancer screening system.
- In 2024, merged under Liger Medical.
- Created one of the first smartphone based colposcopy systems.
- Implemented AI-assisted cervical cancer screening tools.
50+
Countries used (stated)
9,000+
Units sold
400,000+
Women screened
ligermedical.com
Website
FarmSense formerly Wireless Bug-Sensor
WIP winner 2012
Cloud-based monitoring solutions to help growers track and manage pests in real-time by automating insect detection and classification, reducing the need for manual traps and preventing crop damage.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Commercialized as an agricultural tech start up that detects and monitors crop pests in real time.
- Raised over 4 million in SBIR funding, $750k of which is seed funding.
- Tested in 1000+ farms in California, products now in over 7 states within the United States.
- Research estimates $4000 per 200 acres annual savings for farmers.
- Reduction of waste 250 lbs per 200 acres and lower pesticide usage.
4 million
Raised in funding
600+
Sensors deployed
7 states
Currently using product
farmsense.io
website
SOKO
WIP winner 2014
A women-led, people-first ethical jewelry brand and manufacturing platform built to connect artisans in Kenya with the global marketplace.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Shifted from mobile production platform to global ethical jewelry brand.
- Built distributed production network of Kenyan artisans.
- SOKO artisans earn approximately 5×morethan typical artisans in local workshops.
- Research indicates SOKO artisans earn ~37% higher monthly incomethan comparable non-affiliated artisans.
~1,800–2,300
Network of artisans
30+ countries
Consumer market reach
37%
higher monthly income
shopsoko.com
website
MoMo from Welldone International
WIP winner 2015
Eligible for employee voting
A custom-built, rugged sensor designed to be placed inside water hand pumps in developing regions to collect performance and activity metrics, ultimately improving global access to clean water.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Developed and deployed by WelldoneInternational, a nonprofit.
- A remote monitoring system for rural water infrastructure that can send alerts when the pump needs fixes.
- One pump can serve hundreds to thousands of people.
- Deployed in several East African countries with NGO and water-system partners.
7500+
People supported in pilot
40+
Sensors deployed
5+
Countries deployed
Welldone.org
Website
OmniVis formerly PathVis
WIP winner 2017
Handheld, smartphone-linked devices to detect pathogens such as cholera, E. coli, and SARS-CoV-2 in food, water, and biological samples in under 30 minutes.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Used for water safety, food safety, and agricultural monitoring.
- Particularly was highlighted during the covid-19 pandemic.
- Field testing in 3+ countries.
- Raised over 3.4 million total in funding.
- Technology itself is still being improved within Purdue University.
3.4 million
Raised in funding
99%
Accuracy in studies
Gazelle formerly SMART
WIP winner 2018
A portable diagnostic platform used to detect and quantify Sickle Cell Disease. It replicates lab-level electrophoresis to provide definitive results onscreen in less than 8 minutes from a single drop of blood.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- SMART” platform is now a commercialized product, tied to HemexHealth’s Gazelle point-of-care diagnostics.
- Hemexstates Gazelle is available in 40+ countries (global distribution footprint).
- Hemex announced FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Gazelle in Mar 2026 (sickle cell disease use case).
40+ countries
Availability
FDA BDD (2026)
Regulatory signal
SCD + malaria
Primary focus
hemexhealth.com
Website
cerVIA from Luso Labs
WIP winner 2018
An automated, low-cost cervical cancer screening system designed primarily to bring accurate and accessible diagnostics to low- and middle-income countries.
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Luso Labs has been actively optimizing cerVIA’salgorithm and hardware and planning pilot studies in India and Bangladesh.
- The team publicly states a goal to reach patients within 2 years and is seeking collaborations/funding.
- Investors and early support include Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge, Columbia Venture Competition, and VentureWell.
2
Countries with pilots
Seeking Funding
Portable kit
Form factor
luso-labs.com
Website
Special Cases
2 winners were acquired, 1 licensed IP, 3 eventually became spin-off organizations, 2 completed research study/market shift
Cellscope
WIP winner 2009
Turns the camera of a mobile phone or tablet computer into a high-quality light microscope, creating new ways to tackle applications from infectious disease diagnosis to classroom education.
$1M
Seed funding
$4.6M
Total funds before acquisition
27 patients
Pilot clinical usage
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Commercialization: Raised approximately $4.6M in total funding.
- Acquired on October 28, 2019 by Johnson & Johnson.
Medic formerly Frontline SMS
WIP winner 2010
Eligible for employee voting
Open-source mobile health (mHealth) tools designed to empower community health workers, track diseases, and connect remote communities with healthcare systems.
MedicMobile
Spin-off
5,000+
Organizations
Was Active in 40+
Countries
medic.org
Current website
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Official operations shut down August 2021.
- Code remains available on GitHub; community-maintained.
- Legacy impact: Used in 40+ countries for health, elections, disaster response.
- FrontlineSMS:Medic became MedicMobile, now just Medic.
- Medic (501c3): Community Health Toolkit used in 20+ countries.
- Medic: Supports 60,000+ CHWs and reaches 70M+ people through public health systems
New Energy Nexus Uganda formerly ENVision
WIP winner 2018
Eligible for employee voting
Transforming rural communities with clean energy solutions by partnering with locally structured organizations uniquely positioned to bring affordable renewable energy to the Uganda’s most remote villages.
33%
Women entrepreneurs
136,000+
Beneficiaries
1,177
Jobs created
Newenergynexus.com
Website
Post-award trajectory & impact
- ENVisionMobile supported inventory & sales tracking for ENVenture (clean energy enterprise).
- ENVenture turned into New Energy Nexus Uganda.
- New Energy Nexus is a 501c3.
- 654+ entrepreneurs supported.
G-Fresnel
WIP winner 2013
A compact hybrid optical device that enables the creation of highly portable spectrometers that can attach to devices like smartphones for medical, environmental, and biological testing.
$3.5m
Funds raised
3
States where active
Croptix.ag
Website
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Commercialized via Atoptix, a smartphone health sensor focused on detection of blood hemoglobin and oxygen levels.
- Pivoted to agricultural application, rebranded as Croptix.
- Giving farmers early warning of nutrient deficiency, water stress, and diseases (particularly Huanglongbing citrus disease).
- Croptix secured 3.5 million in funding, partnered with Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA).
- Studies in Texas, California, Florida.
CelloPhone
WIP winner 2009
A mobile health technology that converts a smartphone into an inexpensive, portable microscope and diagnostic tool to detect diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.
$5M
Seed funding
3
Awards won after WIP
6+
Field testing countries
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Devices are used globally.
- Won World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and finalist in Nokia Sensing X-Challenge and SPIE PRISM awards.
- Went from CelloPhoneto Cellmicto Holomic, was acquired in 2018 by NOW Diagnostics.
100 Million Stoves
WIP winner 2010
A simple wireless stove use monitoring system that can be attached to the millions of new low-emission stoves used in developing regions, helping assess the impact of household energy programs, enable feedback from users, and transparent verification of carbon credits.
3
Countries where field tested
Final Report Published
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Technology prototype completed and documented.
- Generated a 65+ page final field reportdocumenting challenges and opportunities in stove monitoring.
- Commercial Status: Did not spin out as a standalone organization; broader market conditions and shifting tech context limited uptake.
CoolComply
WIP winner 2011
A solar-powered wireless cooling device to improve tuberculosis treatment in developing countries. Solves pharmaceutical storage challenges in remote areas where reliable electricity and refrigeration are largely inaccessible.
13+
Locations field tested
Final Report Published
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Technology prototype completed and field tested.
- Used technology in Ethiopia to provide tuberculosis treatment for 3 years.
- Market shift: the treatment for TB changed, no longer needed this product.
- Commercial Status: Did not spin out as a standalone organization; broader market conditions and shifting tech context limited uptake.
c-Air
WIP winner 2016
A handheld air monitoring system that utilizes lens-free holographic microscopy and machine learning to analyze Particulate Matter. It costs significantly less than traditional, expensive stationary EPA-approved stations without sacrificing measurement accuracy
Post-award trajectory & impact
- Continued as a deployable sensing platform.
- Field portable device used in environmental monitoring experiments and commercialization.
- Now is a patented sensing technology.
Active in Academia
5 of the 30 WIP winners show ongoing work within their institutions
Smart Diaphragm (UCSF)
WIP winner 2011
A wireless monitoring and early warning system for high-risk pregnancies that can be cheaply and easily administered by a patient. 2.8M in funding, Prototype in clinical study at UCSF.
WIPER (Vanderbilt University)
WIP winner 2017
A wireless, low-power, acoustic shot detector that can can disrupt wildlife poaching by automatically notifying authorities when shots are fired. Recent grant received, commercial product expected 2027.
eyeMITRA (MIT Media Lab)
WIP winner 2014
A mobile phone attachment for imaging of the retina, the nervous tissue in the back of the eye, to provide real-time health status assessment and potentially diagnosis. Still within research stage.
EnHANTs (Columbia)
WIP winner 2017
Energy Harvesting Active Networked Tags for Disaster Recovery Applications (EnHANTs) is a disaster recovery system that will enable locating people trapped by fires and survivors of structural collapse.Research evolved into broader areas, wireless networking, IoT, etc.
Sana (MIT)
WIP winner 2013
An open source platform that allows mobile phones to capture and send data for an electronic medical record and links community health workers with physicians for real-time decision support. Deployed worldwide, part of broader research at MIT.
Ended Operations
Seva Sustainable Sanitation
WIP winner 2015
An intelligent system that treats black water, providing a sustainable solution for the 4.5 billion people in the world without access to adequate sanitation. Had field pilots, continued sanitation technology development but no longer a separate product.
Mobile Stethoscope Diagnostics
WIP winner 2015
USB-powered mobile stethoscope and mobile application providing critical diagnostic assistance to untrained health workers and non-specialist doctors in developing countries. Clinical testing and validation, published papers, field work in India, but ultimately wasintegrated in MIT mobile health diagnostic tools using machine learning.
EyeSee
WIP winner 2016
A vision enhancement and rehabilitation system combining a smartphone and a compact display to maximize residual vision and enable independent living in vision impaired patients. Had clinical trials, published papers, but ultimately ended due to Google discontinuing Glass for consumers.