The Tech Museum of Innovation Awards, established by San Jose, California nonprofit Tech Museum, in conjunction with Applied Materials and Santa Clara University, are intended to reward technological innovation that specifically benefits poor and underdeveloped pockets of humanity.

The Tech Museum of Innovation Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity is designed to recognize people, companies or organizations which develop or use technology in creative ways to solve global challenges and have a high potential of yielding lasting, beneficial impact. The awards honor innovators from around the world in the categories of health, education, environment, economic development and equality. The awards were established
this year by the San Jose, California nonprofit Tech Museum, in conjunction with Applied Materials and Santa Clara University.

The five winners, who will each receive a $50,000 honorarium, were announced at a gala event at The Tech Museum on November 1, 2001. Freeplay Foundation, a 3-year-old South African organization, won in the Education category for its work in using wind-up and solar-powered radios to help Africans gain access to educational information. For other winners, click this page.

Nominations for The Tech Museum of Innovation Awards for 2002 are already
being accepted.