12 Semi-Finalists Announced for the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge at the Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society

Oxford, UK – September 2025 — The Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society is proud to announce the 12 semi-finalist teams selected for the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge: AI for Abundance—Designing Futures of Flourishing.

This year’s challenge invited bold, early-stage ideas harnessing artificial intelligence to build systems of abundance—expanding human agency, dignity, and opportunity in a world too often defined by scarcity. Two tracks were launched for 2025:

• Public Interest Track — for solutions aimed at equitable social benefit, governance, education, sustainability, or community empowerment.
• Commercial Track — for market-driven solutions that demonstrate both business potential and social responsibility.

Shortlisted teams will participate in a series of workshops this autumn and compete for a place in the final pitch session at the Rhodes Forum in Oxford on November 8, 2025. Up to £25,000 in non-dilutive funding and tailored mentorship will be awarded to winning ventures.

Meet the 2025 Semi-Finalists

• EquitAsia – Rui Wang, XiaoLu Zhao, and Minne Deng (Atlantic Fellows): AI-enabled storytelling and project presentation tools that bridge the gap between community-led nonprofits and philanthropic funders in Asia

• OpenDoor – Diya Sreedhar and team (Rise): A human-centered AI platform connecting homeless individuals with underused community-based services, tackling mistrust in technology and barriers to access

• Vocam – Matheus Cruz and IdilDoga Turkmen (Rise): A camera-based visual vocabulary learning app designed for people with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, leveraging visual learning to improve retention

• MediCalli – Kenai Benitez (Equitech Futures): An AI-driven chatbot that provides affordable, accessible primary healthcare support for underserved communities

• Gensight AI – Dr. Yiwei Chen, Dr. Xiarong Li, and Dr. Yiru Zhao (Atlantic Fellows): An expert-trained AI companion that translates complex genetic reports into clear, conversational explanations for families facing rare disease diagnoses

• Enable AI – David Achara and Oluwakorede Adedeji (Rhodes Scholars): An accessibility assistant that adapts digital interfaces for users with disabilities, giving them greater choice and autonomy online

• CreceAI – Laura Estepa, Daira Velasquez, and Allison Dominguez (Rise): AI-powered WhatsApp agents that help informal workers in Latin America access better economic opportunities and decision-making support

• Haki – Tony Odhiambo and Naana Annan (Rise): A multilingual, voice/WhatsApp-based platform delivering instant, verified legal information to semi-literate and under-resourced communities in Africa

• Civic Helper – Swathi Srinivasan and Michael Litt (Rhodes Scholars): A tool streamlining the process of applying for vital documents (e.g., birth certificates, IDs) for low-income, unhoused, and immigrant communities

• Koan – Bo Liu, Luke Williams, Chidi Okarah, Manas Tiwari, Eduardo Oliveira, and Mateo Morales (Equitech Futures): A Socratic AI-driven education platform that counters overreliance on AI by cultivating critical thinking while supporting institutional academic workflows

• Bureaucrazy – Aakriti Ghimire, Aayusha Shrestha, and Labbi Karmacharya (Equitech Futures): An AI-powered ecosystem guiding Nepali youth step-by-step through cryptic government procedures, improving access to public services

• EMAI – Ho Thai Binh and Tony Coffey (Rhodes Scholars): An AI-assisted first aid and CPR platform that supports learners with interactive retention tools and delivers real-time, context-aware emergency guidance

A Call to Reimagine Abundance

The Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge asks: How might we build AI systems that increase human agency and dignity—not by automating away choice, but by amplifying it?

“Abundance isn’t just about more material goods,” said the organizing committee. “It’s about more meaningful time, trusted knowledge, and generative relationships. These semi-finalists embody that vision.”

The semi-finalists will continue refining their ventures through September workshops on problem definition, prototyping, and business design, leading up to the final pitch at Oxford in November.

About the Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society

The annual Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society brings together global leaders, builders, and scholars to address pressing challenges at the intersection of science, technology, and society. The Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge, hosted in collaboration with Equitech Futures, provides a platform for early-stage ventures to imagine and build more human-centered technological futures.