hundo Awarded as 2023 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum 

• The World Economic Forum announces selection of the 100 most promising Technology Pioneers, companies that are tackling such issues as sustainability, climate change and healthcare.
• hundo; a virtual work experience and immersive learning platform is among the winners. 
• This year’s cohort includes representation from 31 economies on six continents. 
• The full list of Technology Pioneers can be viewed here. 

hundo, a virtual work experience and immersive learning platform that prepares young people for their future tech-centric careers, was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”.  The start-up was founded by Esther O’Callaghan OBE, Piers Collins and Scott Byrne-Fraser to tackle the growing skills gap impacting young people’s ability to successfully transition from education to employment in frontier tech industries.

The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early-stage companies that are at the forefront of new technologies and innovation and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.

“We’re excited to welcome hundo to our 2023 cohort of Technology Pioneers,” said Verena Kuhn, Head of Innovator Communities at the World Economic Forum. “hundo and its fellow pioneers are at the forefront of innovation and disruption needed to help us solve the world’s most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the Forum’s content work that brings together the public and private sector to tackle these global issues.” 

As a Technology Pioneer, hundo’s Founder; Esther O’Callaghan OBE is invited to engage with the World Economic Forum, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues. Technology Pioneers will also be invited to join Forum events and discussions throughout the year, bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sector. 

“There are 1.1.BN new frontier tech roles needed by 2030 while the first ever digital native generation on earth is facing rising unemployment. We built hundo to provide a vital skills bridge to cross that divide.  Being recognised as a Pioneer is a testament to the hundo team and I’m looking forward to engaging with the Forum to continue to drive that agenda forward” – Esther O’Callaghan OBE, Founder, hundo

“The day we met Esther and her team at Hundo we were blown away by their passion and dedication to help address key societal issues facing youth today through Web3. We are thrilled that the team has been recognised for their services by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer.” Jamie Burke, CEO and Founder, Outlier Ventures

 “We’re delighted to see one of our Global Tech Advocates leads being recognised by the World Economic Forum as a ‘Technology Pioneer’. Esther has been instrumental in building the GTA Metaverse group and has led the way in expanding our network’s understanding of virtual reality, so we’re pleased to see hundo being recognised as one of the best and brightest UK impact startups.” – Russ Shaw CBE, Founder of Global Tech Advocates

This year’s Technology Pioneer cohort includes startups from 31 economies, with a third led by a woman chief executive. China has the second highest representation with 12 Technology Pioneers, behind US with 29 companies. 

More information on this year’s Technology Pioneers can be found here. 

More information on past winners, information on the community and the application link can be found here.