Glassless places Top 15 in EMEA and Top 45 globally in the OPPO Inspiration Challenge

A global challenge for accessible technology

The OPPO Inspiration Challenge is a global initiative launched by the OPPO Research Institute to identify and support technology solutions addressing major challenges in areas including accessible technology and digital health. The 2023 edition attracted 687 proposals from 66 countries and regions worldwide, with startups evaluated on feasibility, technological innovation, long-term potential and social value.

The 2023 challenge was organised around two themes: Inspiration for People, focused on digital health and accessible technology, and Inspiration for the Planet, focused on environmental protection and low-carbon development. Glassless participated in the Inspiration for People category, presenting its approach to making digital devices more accessible to people experiencing age-related vision changes.

Pitching at the Harvard Club of Boston

Glassless was selected to participate in the EMEA regional demo event held at the Harvard Club of Boston on 27 July 2023, where 15 startups from Europe, the United States and Israel pitched their solutions to a judging panel. The event was hosted by OPPO Research Institute in partnership with the Harvard GSAS Entrepreneur Community and also gave participating startups the opportunity to engage in technical discussions with OPPO executives, Harvard Business School representatives and investment professionals.

Glassless presented its software-based approach to near-vision correction. Rather than adding corrective optics to a device, the company's technology modifies the digital image displayed on the screen, pre-compensating visual content for the user's vision so that the resulting image can appear sharper through their visual system.

The approach aligns with OPPO's focus on accessible technology and its broader objective of using technology to address challenges in health, accessibility and quality of life. OPPO's 2023 challenge specifically identified assistive technologies and technology designed for older people as areas of interest within its Inspiration for People category.

Pathways beyond the competition

Beyond the competition itself, the programme offered selected startups potential pathways towards further development. OPPO stated that the Top 45 proposals worldwide could access opportunities including productisation and commercialisation, strategic partnerships and investment, global technology-event exposure, as well as technical and cloud resources.

For Glassless, being selected for the Boston regional challenge provided an opportunity to present its technology directly to a global technology company and engage with experts across mobile technology, investment and innovation.

“Being selected for the OPPO Inspiration Challenge and having the opportunity to pitch at the Harvard Club of Boston was an incredible milestone for Glassless. We are building a technology that we believe can fundamentally change how people interact with digital devices as they age, and being recognised within a global challenge focused on accessible technology and digital health is a strong validation of that vision. Having the opportunity to discuss our technology with OPPO's research and technology experts was particularly valuable as we continue working towards bringing vision correction directly into the devices people use every day.”

From recognition to what came next

The recognition marked an early milestone in Glassless' development and strengthened the company's connection to the global mobile technology ecosystem. It also reinforced the potential for vision correction to become part of the digital experience itself, rather than remaining exclusively dependent on external optical devices.

The 2023 OPPO Inspiration Challenge subsequently selected 15 global finalists from the regional competitions, who progressed to an Acceleration Camp and Global Final Demo Event in Singapore. The five eventual global winners received a US$50,000 grant each alongside opportunities for further collaboration with OPPO and its partners.

About the OPPO Inspiration Challenge

The OPPO Inspiration Challenge is an initiative of the OPPO Research Institute designed to support entrepreneurs and technology professionals developing solutions with potential social impact. The 2023 edition focused on accessible technology, digital health, environmental protection and low-carbon development, bringing together startups from around the world with OPPO and its global technology ecosystem.

About Glassless

Glassless is developing vision-correcting software designed to enable people with presbyopia to interact with digital devices without reading glasses. The technology pre-compensates digital content for the user's visual impairment, with the aim of integrating directly into smartphones, applications and other digital platforms.