Budweiser is turning to the Canadian tech community for smarter solutions to prevent drunk driving.
On January 29-31, the brewer is hosting its Tackle Impossible Road Safety Challenge at the BrainStation headquarters in Toronto, where participants will compete for the chance to win $25,000 in seed funding. The goal is to create smart innovations that help stop preventable drinking and driving related crashes.
“We know millennials are passionate about making a difference in the world. Budweiser is equipping enterprising young adults with the encouragement, access and know-how they need to collaborate on road safety innovations. Ultimately, we can have the biggest impact on this global issue if we all work together,” said Andrew Oosterhuis.
Judges will evaluate solutions based on strength of solution, innovation, execution, scalability, and impact. The winning team will receive $5,000 cash prize to be divided equally among the team, six weeks of mentorship and idea refinement, and $25,000 in seed funding to fully develop their idea. The team will eventually partake in an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin, Texas for SXSW 2016 where they will then showcase their idea.
Oosterhuis said that the hackathon is part of Budweiser’s “global commitment” to making roads safe from drunk driving. “Whether it’s in a car, on a bicycle, or on foot – every road we choose should be open and safe. That’s why Budweiser is calling on young adults who are passionate about making a difference to come together to affect change on responsible driving.”