Technology frontiers

Innovations in tech for social good

Photo of a white man sitting with his arms folded in a red chair

Future tech starts now

At Challenge Works, our technology frontiers work is driven by the belief that cutting-edge technology has immense potential to change the world for the better – but it cannot do it alone. Rather than waiting for innovation to organically occur, we actively drive it by focusing on underserved problems neglected due to a lack of commercial incentives, regulatory barriers, or low visibility. While traditional innovation starts with a problem, we take a bold, inverse approach: starting with emerging technology and seeking out compelling societal challenges for it to solve. By advocating for novel technologies and untangling adoption barriers, we use challenge prizes to ensure breakthroughs happen faster and create a tangible, positive impact for everyone.

Speak to the team

Take a look at some of the prizes we’ve run in this area

AI generated image of the moon submerged in water with an astronaut standing in front

Aqualunar Challenge

The Aqualunar Challenge was a £1.2m international challenge prize to drive the creation of innovative technologies to make human habitation in space possible by finding ways to purify water buried beneath the Moon’s surface.

Learn more

Young woman using cell phone while buying fresh oranges in the supermarket.

Smart Data Challenge Prize

The Smart Data Challenge Prize was a £600,000 challenge prize funded by the Department for Business & Trade, designed to identify and develop Smart Data use cases across the economy.

Learn more

Metascience Novelty Indicators Challenge

The Metascience Novelty Indicators Challenge was a global initiative to develop and validate measures that can automatically identify novelty in research.

Learn more

Discuss your prize idea with the team

Our impact

£638.1 million in follow-on funding

Fintech innovators participating in the Open Up Challenge secured over £638M in subsequent investment after entering the prize (up from £102.7M prior), catalysing the adoption of open banking tools across the UK.

£450,000+ distributed to off-grid water innovation

The Aqualunar Challenge awarded £30,000 seed grants to 10 finalist teams and a £150,000 grand prize to pioneer water purification techniques for extreme environments on Earth using microwave and ultrasound tech.

50 years of simulation compressed into under 1 day

Inaugural £1M Manchester Prize winner Polaron used AI to model advanced battery materials in less than 24 hours – a process that traditionally takes half a century – delivering a >10% boost in battery energy density (+20 miles of EV range).

Learn more about our impact

Ryan Klem, Global Executive at Totota Mobility Foundation

Mobility Unlimited Challenge

“Our work with Challenge Works on the Mobility Unlimited challenge was critical for us on many fronts. It allowed us to connect with end-users, entrepreneurs, advocates, practitioners, thought leaders, and SMEs across multiple disciplines. This diverse perspective brought new ways of thinking about old problems in the assistive technology space as well as our own perspective on mobility in a broader sense. Not only did the challenge highlight innovations in the space but helped raise awareness on the broader challenges that exist for many when it comes to living barrier free. Since we launched the challenge several years ago, it has served as a proof point to our commitment to mobility and a launching pad for others to connect with us in an expanded space.”

Caroline Plumb, CEO of Fluidly

Open Up Challenge

“Winning was a critical moment in Fluidly’s evolution. It didn’t just give us much-needed financial support at a crucial early stage, it also provided us with invaluable introductions and wider credibility in the nascent open banking sector.”

Dr. Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency

Aqualunar Challenge

"The ambition to build a sustainable human presence on the Moon through the NASA-led Artemis Missions will only succeed if we have ways of generating a reliable supply of clean water. Space exploration pushes our knowledge to its limit and spurs innovation, resulting in new products and services that can also benefit citizens on Earth."