“In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, activists are increasingly turning to tech to come up with incredible solutions to all kinds of social problems,” observes the Prague Civil Society Centre (the Centre). During its annual “Pitching Day,” the Centre brought 16 finalists of a civic tech competition it conducted to Prague to pitch their ideas for funding. Along with the opportunity for funding, the Centre provided finalists with mentorship through online courses and an intensive workshop prior to the competition. Through this mentorship, the Centre aims to prepare civil society leaders that create technology tools for social good to be competitive in the tech industry.

“From an app that allows residents of Tashkent to inform the authorities about broken streets, and sensors that monitor pollution in Ukraine, to a game that encourages recycling in Russia, we were treated to an incredible array of ideas for tackling some of the region’s most pressing issues,” the Centre notes. Read about the program and the five winning projects here.