Technovation announces 2026 girls global tech competition results
Technovation, the largest global AI education nonprofit, has announced the winners of its annual global tech competition for girls. Fifteen finalist teams from 13 countries presented their apps to judges at the 2026 World Summit in October, hosted at the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center in Bengaluru, India.
Grand prize winners were: Samruq.AI, which monitors underground mining hazards in real time so rescue efforts can start before disaster strikes (Senior Division); Emergen which is a scannable QR code that links to a person’s medical profile in an emergency, with no app or passcode required (Junior Division); and MyWisTree.com which saves and translates the family stories grandparents share on WhatsApp (Beginner Division).
The leadership team from York Region’s St. Mary Immaculate School were thrilled with the news.
“We are excited to share the news that our very own SMI Stars, Mihika and Vanshika (Grade 8), travelled to Bengaluru, India to take part in Technovation 2026 and have won the Beginner Division award,” the school stated on Instagram. “They were team WisTree and built the WisTree app – an app that automatically saves what grandparents share on WhatsApp and translates it, preserving family ties forever.”
York Region’s Holy Cross Catholic Academy grade 12 student Victoria Scorziello and her teammate represented North America at the Technovation World Summit in the Senior Division. Together, they presented their innovative healthcare solution to technology leaders and young entrepreneurs worldwide.
Earlier this year, Scorziello signed up for the Technovation Waterloo Regional Pitch Event, part of an international competition that encourages girls under 18 to use technology and AI. The competition aimed to identify an issue in their communities and develop a solution.
Scorziello’s idea came from a teammate’s injury during a game that resulted in a broken foot. Because emergency care facilities often have long wait times, it can be hard to know where to go for treatment without waiting in line. After a lengthy wait at the hospital, staff told Scorziello and her teammate the needed equipment was out of service, and they waited for nothing. Disappointed with the results, Scorziello decided to do something about it, which led her and her partner to create CareCompass, an app that centralizes critical healthcare information (wait times, travel times, and facility capabilities) to make healthcare more efficient.
“Our app would also combat the overcrowding issues that Canadian hospitals are currently facing since providing users with the best location for their needs would relieve any unnecessary stress on other centers,” Scorziello said.
Originally, the app was intended mainly for athletes; however, its value can extend far beyond that group.
“We expanded it, not just for athletes but also elders, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses and everyone in between.”
Although Scorziello and her teammate did not win the event in India, they reflect on the monumental achievement of competing on the world stage.
“It was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, we did not win,” Scorziello said. “Just being on the world stage was an accomplishment I would’ve never dreamed of. During our final pitch, a school from the area came to watch, and it made me think of school back home. It reminded me of how far we travelled and the many young girls we were inspiring.”
The full list of finalists and honorees is available at technovation.org.
Photo: York Region student Victoria Scorziello (left) and her teammate represented North America at the Technovation World Summit in the Senior Division. (supplied photo)