Business Wire

XPRIZE Announces New $10 Million Competition to Preserve Rainforests Across the Globe

Share

Today, XPRIZE, the global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges, officially launched the $10M Rainforest XPRIZE. Registration is now open for teams interested in participating in the four-year global competition that calls on innovators to create technology capable of identifying and cataloging rainforest biodiversity and develop insights that may lead to a new bioeconomy through standing forests.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191119005397/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

(Graphic: Business Wire)

Rainforests remain undervalued, which has led to their rapid depletion over the past two decades. Having once covered 14% of the earth’s land surface, rainforests now cover a mere 6% of the planet, according to National Geographic. Specifically, the recent acceleration of the Amazon’s deforestation, due in part to illegal logging and mining as well as inefficient agricultural expansion, has added to climate insecurity around the globe. All these factors have elevated the urgency of bringing the importance of preserving these precious ecosystems to the forefront of international discourse. Knowledge of the full biodiversity must be unlocked so that private companies, corporations, governments, individuals, local communities, and indigenous people who have demonstrated a commitment to preserving the rainforests will be empowered to sustain rainforests rather than destroy them.

The Rainforest XPRIZE will reward teams that can develop effective new technology to capture the true biological diversity of rainforests and further layer additional data to show the value of protecting the natural resources within them. The current methods used to identify and catalogue biodiversity, including in situ human-led studies, remote sensing by satellites or radar, or sophisticated spectroscopy, cannot operate to scale and gather the data necessary to understand the full ecosystem wealth of rainforests in sustainable ways. The competition accelerates a new bioeconomy, while also engaging indigenous and local communities, as well as local academic institutions in developing the solution. The Rainforest XPRIZE is a call-to-action to help save rainforests through the development and implementation of transformative, scalable, and affordable technology.

Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE, said, “Amid our 25th anniversary as an organization, it is fitting that we add to our legacy by introducing a prize that will challenge the best and brightest to develop transformative technology to incentivize the preservation of rainforests worldwide, not only for our generation, but those to follow.”

“Despite their importance in supporting life on Earth, rainforests are undervalued because we simply do not yet know everything that exists in this ancient ecosystem,” said Executive Director of the Rainforest XPRIZE Jyotika Virmani, Ph.D. “I’m excited to see the innovative technologies that will emerge from this competition and give us a better assessment of the incredible biodiversity. Our goal is for the Rainforest XPRIZE to provide new understanding and reveal the true potential of the standing forest, allowing local communities to lead the way for all of us to live in harmony with these magnificent rainforests.”

The teams of the Rainforest XPRIZE will develop sophisticated technologies to inventory rainforest biodiversity faster, affordably, and in unprecedented detail in challenging harsh environments, delivering insights to support the sustainable use and well-being of the standing forest. Interdisciplinary teams can use emerging technologies such as robotics, remote sensing, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to survey biodiversity, deal with the challenges of a harsh environment, and demonstrate that these ecosystems are worth preserving.

Specifically, the winning team will survey biodiversity in at least three stories of a rainforest (emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor) in eight hours to produce the most comprehensive biodiversity assessment and utilize this and other data to produce the greatest number of insights in 48 hours. Insights may include, but are not limited to, new ecological dependencies, biodiversity and climate connectivity, anthropological findings, or even sustainable societal interactions with the forest.

The competition includes seven months for team registration and three months for initial technical document submission. A total prize purse of $10M will be awarded throughout the lifespan of the prize, including up to $500K in bonus prizes for innovative approaches to species identification. Milestone prizes will also be awarded equally for up to 10 final teams that advance through the semi-finals.

Throughout the life cycle of the competition and following the grand prize awards ceremony, XPRIZE will work to support and scale the impact of the teams’ work and promote education around rainforest preservation.

The Rainforest XPRIZE originated from Future of Forests Impact Roadmap. The Future of Forests Impact Roadmap identified six areas for breakthroughs that could usher in a preferred future for the world’s forests, one in which forests live in harmony in an environment that balances a healthy ecosystem with humanity’s changing needs, including economic growth, social progress, and political stability.

The deadline for teams to register through the XPRIZE website is June 30, 2020. Beginning July 1, 2020 to September 23, 2020 teams can request late registration, that will be at the discretion of XPRIZE. For more information, and to register your intent to compete, visit rainforest.xprize.org.

XPRIZE

XPRIZE designs and operates multi-million-dollar, global competitions to incentivize the development of technological breakthroughs that accelerate humanity toward a better future. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE and the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Katherine Schelbert
katherine.schelbert@xprize.org

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Ant International Launches Alipay+ Voyager, a Built-in End-to-End AI Travel Companion for Digital Wallet and Super App Users2.7.2025 09:12:00 EEST | Press release

With launch partners including Agoda, Fliggy and Trip.com, Ant International introduces Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel companion integrated into digital wallets for the travel industry to simplify and enhance travel experiences for global consumers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250701160496/en/ A sample user interface of Alipay+ Voyager, which users can access via digital wallets Alipay+ Voyager combines Ant International's agentic AI capabilities with the galaxy of cross-border travel services offered by OTA partners and 100 million global merchants in Alipay+'s partner ecosystem. Through its one single AI interface embedded in e-wallets and super apps, Alipay+ Voyager assists travellers, via text or voice in their local language, to complete itinerary planning, booking, and purchasing in-destination merchant offerings with a seamless flow. Alipay+ Voyager is first launched on three of Asia’s biggest mobile

Access Advance Welcomes Global Technology Leaders as Licensees and Licensors to New Video Distribution Patent Pool2.7.2025 03:00:00 EEST | Press release

Access Advance LLC ("Advance") today announced the inaugural roster of licensees and licensors for its Video Distribution Patent ("VDP") Pool, marking a significant milestone in the program's rapid market adoption since its January announcement. The participation of major global companies heavily involved in video codec technology demonstrates strong industry support for the comprehensive licensing solution covering HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 codecs. The VDP Pool has successfully attracted a group of licensees/licensors including ByteDance, Kuaishou, NTT Docomo, and Tencent. This represents the beginning of what Access Advance expects to be widespread adoption among content streaming providers seeking simplified codec licensing. The licensees’ participation provides immediate access to the wide-ranging patent portfolio while benefiting from the fixed tiered pricing structure designed to scale with business size. "We're pleased to welcome ByteDance, Kuaishou, NTT Docomo and Tencent as our

Intralot S.A. to Acquire Bally’s International Interactive Business in a Transaction that Creates a Global Gaming Technology and Services Company in Lottery and Digital Online Gaming Markets1.7.2025 22:10:00 EEST | Press release

Intralot S.A. (ATSE: INLOT) (“Intralot”) and Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) (“Bally’s”) today announced that their respective Boards of Directors approved their entry into a definitive transaction agreement (“Transaction Agreement”) pursuant to which Intralot will acquire Bally’s International Interactive business (the “International Interactive Business”) in a cash-and-shares transaction that values the International Interactive Business at an enterprise value of €2.7 billion (the “Transaction”). The consideration for the acquisition of the International Interactive Business will comprise a combination of cash paid by Intralot and newly issued shares delivered by Intralot to Bally’s, as more specifically detailed below. As part of the Transaction, Intralot expects to refinance part of its existing debt facilities and Bally’s also expects to repay secured debt from the cash proceeds. The Transaction consideration to Bally’s, after assumptions of certain liabilities by the involved pa

Valeo Foods Group Acquires Melegatti Cakes Expanding the Italian Bakery Portfolio1.7.2025 19:21:00 EEST | Press release

Valeo Foods Group, one of Europe’s leading producers of quality sweets, treats and snacks, has successfully acquired the assets of an Italian panettone, pandoro and croissant producer, Melegatti 1894 S.p.A.This acquisition is another step forward in Valeo Foods Groups’ strategy to expand its baked sweet treats portfolio, and reinforces Valeo’s commitment to bringing authentic Italian confections and established regional brands to a wider international audience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702677156/en/ Melegatti Founded in 1894 in Verona, Melegatti has a strong reputation for artisanal cakes - particularly pandoro, panettone and filled croissants - traditional recipes, and a rich Italian heritage, Melegatti has a proud legacy founded on family values, craftsmanship, and a passion for quality. “We are excited to welcome Melegatti into the Valeo Foods Group,” said Ronald Kers, Group CEO. “This acquisition

PUMA and Borussia Dortmund Extend Partnership1.7.2025 19:18:00 EEST | Press release

Sports company PUMA has extended its long-standing partnership with Borussia Dortmund, and will continue to create products that cater to BVB’s many passionate fans around the world and match the club’s dynamic, fast paced style of football. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250701775493/en/ Sports company PUMA has extended its long-standing partnership with Borussia Dortmund, and will continue to create products that cater to BVB’s many passionate fans around the world and match the club’s dynamic, fast paced style of football. Since the start of their partnership in the 2012/13 season, BVB has celebrated many successes, such as reaching the finals of the 2012/13 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League and winning the 2016/17 and 2020/21 German DFB Cup. The club is currently participating in the FIFA Club World Cup, where it has already reached the round of 16. BVB continues to set the standard in European football w

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye