International Innovators to Be Honored at the Tech Awards for Applying Technology to Benefit Humanity

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - September 16, 2014) - Nearly 23 million infants worldwide go without immunizations every year, and close to 2 million people die from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Vaccines are temperature sensitive and most need to be refrigerated, stored, and transported, making deployment to rural areas difficult and expensive. Children in the world's poorest communities are the most deeply affected by the lack of access to vaccines. 

Meet Nanoly -- a team of young scientists from the University of Colorado developing technology that eliminates the need to refrigerate vaccines, enabling effective and safe delivery anywhere in the world. The team will be among the 10 international laureates recognized for their resolve and ingenuity in addressing some of the world's most formidable challenges at Silicon Valley's leading awards program, The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials. The event, produced by The Tech Museum of Innovation, will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

"Compelled by need, fueled by creativity, executed by competence: The innovations of The Tech Awards 2014 laureates give us hope that we can solve the problems we face," said Tim Ritchie, president of The Tech. "We are inspired not only by the laureates' work, but by their lives as well." 

The laureates are working all over the world, from India to Latin America to Africa, developing life-changing innovations. "The commitment and creativity of this year's laureates show great promise for a brighter future," said Mike Splinter, Executive Chairman of Applied Materials. "Their innovative use of technology combined with unrelenting passion and determination help overcome the challenges before us and create solutions for a better world." 

Cash prizes totaling $500,000 are awarded the night of the gala. One laureate in each of The Tech Awards five categories -- the Intel Environment Award, the Microsoft Education Award, the Katherine M. Swanson Young Innovator Award, the Nokia Health Award, and the Flextronics Economic Development Award -- will win $75,000. The other winner will go home with $25,000. During their week-long stay in Silicon Valley, the laureates engage in specialized business and media training, network with leading tech companies and venture capitalists, and learn about the experiences of fellow laureates.