The World's Most Awarded Company for Wearable Assistive Technology Devices

OrCam Technologies was founded in 2010 with the goal of empowering people who are blind, visually impaired, and have reading challenges. In 2015, OrCam launched its first device, the wearable OrCam MyEye. OrCam Technologies’ Research and Development Team is made up of hundreds of highly skilled software and hardware experts, all working toward improving the quality of life of OrCam’s tens of thousands of device users.

The revolutionary, Artificial Intelligence-driven Computer Vision and Machine Learning technology implemented in these devices have caught the attention of innovation and technology evaluators worldwide. What makes OrCam so unique is that these technologies are used to enable the independence of people with disabilities. These technological breakthroughs are used to improve the quality of life for people who are blind, visually impaired, and experiencing reading difficulties worldwide.

Here is a list of the awards OrCam has received as of 2021:

EdTech Award Finalist 2021

The EdTech Awards is the largest and most competitive recognition program in all of education technology. Each year, the awards recognize those that utilize technology to benefit and enrich both teachers, as well as students.

The handheld OrCam Read, enabling those with reading difficulties such as dyslexia, as well as low vision to read any printed or digital text, at just the push of a button. It does it instantly, without the need for an internet connection, making it perfect for students taking tests. OrCam Read was named one of the finalists in the assistive technology category.

CES Best of Innovation 2021

Every year, the Consumer Technology Association, also known as CES, hosts one of the world’s largest tech events in Las Vegas, Nevada. A panel of judges carefully reviews and selects the winner of the most innovative product which was presented during the convention.

OrCam Read provides a breakthrough and revolutionary solution for a problem that affects people with reading difficulties and mild low vision worldwide. Alternative reading devices are only capable of reading text if the user scrolls them on a page line by line. OrCam Read, on the other hand, can read an entire page or digital surface with one click. In addition, users can target specific segments of text that they want OrCam Read to read to them. This is possible with the laser targeting feature that allows users to point the device on sections they want the OrCam Read to read for them.

TIME Magazine – Best Inventions of 2019

OrCam MyEye 2 was chosen for the best inventions of 2019 list by TIME Magazine. The list includes breakthrough inventions in 20 different categories including design, transportation, consumer electronics and many more.

“We are truly honored that TIME has distinguished OrCam MyEye 2 as one of the Best Inventions of 2019, in the Accessibility category,” said Prof. Amnon Shashua, OrCam Technologies Co-founder and Co-CEO. “We deeply appreciate the recognition by TIME of OrCam’s wearable assistive technology’s ability to transform people’s lives. We pioneered this innovation to function as ‘AI as a companion’, to directly benefit people who are blind, visually impaired, or have reading difficulties, including dyslexia.”

IFC and the Financial Times 2019 Transformational Business Awards

Every year the International Finance Corporation and The Financial Times choose a list of the most transformational business Awards worldwide. The list includes private sector companies that make a difference in addressing development challenges and in helping the world achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, 270 companies were reviewed for the award. The judges who chose which company will receive the award was made up of global thinkers, senior journalists, and international business leaders.

CES Best of Innovation 2020

OrCam Read was not the first OrCam device to win the innovation award at CES. OrCam Hear won the same prize the previous year.

OrCam Hear is a revolutionary device that enables people with hearing impairments to selectively hear people who are talking to them in conversations that are taking place in loud and noisy environments. Using advanced algorithms, OrCam Hear analyzes lip and chin movements of the people who are in front of the user, in order to detect the sound of their voices, and then cancel out background sounds so that the user can hear what they are saying. OrCam Hear is the best solution for the Cocktail Party Effect.

Red Herring Awards

Every year Red Herring, a global media company chooses the top 100 startups in Asia, Europe, North America and around the world.

“OrCam is honored to be a recipient of the Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award, thereby joining the elite company of previous Red Herring 100 winners which include Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Alibaba,” said Dr. Yonatan Wexler, OrCam’s Executive Vice President of Research & Development. “We are deeply appreciative of Red Herring’s recognition of OrCam’s AI-driven innovations, and our wearable technologies’ ability to transform people’s lives.”

CES 2018 Honoree

CES is the global stage for innovation. The event is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association. CES provides the best ground for launching new products to the market. Each year more than 3,000 products launch at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. OrCam MyEye 2 was named a 2018 CES Innovation Awards honoree and a finalist in the last gadget standing competition.

Ubergizmo’s Best of CES 2018

Every year, Ubergizmo selects a list of the best products launched or presented at CES. OrCam MyEye 2 was on the top of Ubergizmo’s list of 2018 favorite products.

ATSA Independent Living Expo Best New Product Award

The ATSA Independent Living Expo is Australia’s most comprehensive event for seniors and people living with disabilities. More than 250 exhibitors take part in the ATSA Independent Living Expos, providing an extensive showcase of assistive technologies. OrCam My Eye 2 was one of six finalists from 40 entries in the running to win the Best New Product Award.

Healthcare Innovation Award

The OrCam MyEye 2 was shortlisted for the Health Innovation Award at the Wearable Technology Awards 2018. Many healthcare programs worldwide provide OrCam devices to citizens who are blind or visually impaired. Many governments and private healthcare organizations receive requests from its blind or visually impaired members for OrCam devices.

Last Gadget Standing

Last Gadget Standing is one of the most important technology gadget awards. The Last Gadget Standing competition is one where the audience, as opposed to judges, choose the winners. For the past 20 years products such as Roomba, Onstar, and Palm Pilot have been chosen as winners. OrCam was proud to join this prestigious list and to be chosen by the audience itself in one of its most impressive awards so far.

Naidex Innovation Award

The judges at the Naidex Innovation Award described their decision for choosing OrCam MyEye 2 in the following way – “The Changing Lives Award commended the product, service, or initiative which has had a positive and demonstrable impact on its user.” As many other judges and technology professionals have noticed, OrCam devices dramatically improve the quality of life for their users.

Accessibility.com Organizational Spotlight

OrCam is proud to be a part of the Accessibility.com community, including being featured as an Organizational Spotlight. Accessibility.com has made a mission for itself to provide information and useful resources for people with special needs. Accessibility.com provides both digital and physical accessibility information and resources. Accessibility.com’s core values are based on integrity, equality, service, and growth.

Partnership in Excellence Award from the National Industries for the Blind (NIB)

OrCam MyEye 2, the world’s most advanced wearable assistive technology device, was selected for this award based on its outstanding contribution and support of NIB’s mission to create and sustain jobs for people who are blind. NIB focuses on enhancing the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB operates under the AbilityOne Program, which helps employ individuals who are blind as well as those with other severe disabilities.

Tech 4 Good Awards

Tech4Good Awards focuses on technologies that improve lives and make the world a better place. The awards were created by AbilityNet and British Telecommunications.

Louis Braille Corporate Recognition Award

The Louis Braille award is one of monumental significance for any company empowering the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. The organization was named after Louise Braille, as well as the reading method that stands at the turning point in history in education and enablement for the blind and visually impaired. Since 1959, the Louis Braille Award is given to individuals and organizations who make the most significant contributions to the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired.

During the award ceremony, Rhys Filmer, Sales Director at OrCam Technologies said: “It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of OrCam”. He then added that “the OrCam staff is extremely dedicated to their work and this award will motivate us to continue working hard to help the blind and visually impaired community”. After hearing about the award, the Mayor of Philadelphia, James Kenney, was so impressed that he issued a Citation on OrCam’s behalf:

“It is fitting and appropriate, therefore, that the City of Philadelphia officially recognize with this Citation: 

OrCam Technologies for the significant contributions the OrCam has made to increase the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired. We congratulate OrCam Technologies on being the recipient of this well-deserved recognition and wish the OrCam team every success in their continued endeavors.”

Access Israel 2019 Award for Exemplary Accessibility

The Simcha Lustig Access Israel Award for exemplary accessibility is given every year to organizations and to developments of assisting technology. This year, during the 6th international conference, OrCam’s co-founder, president, and CEO Ziv Aviram received the prize on behalf of OrCam technologies. Over 1000 people attended this year’s conference which focused on “Innovation and the Future of Accessibility”.

Cannes Lions 2019

Cannes awards are not only for movies and music. The Cannes lions shortlist is considered among one of the most prestigious awards in Europe for technology and innovation. Cannes Lions announced the 2019 shortlist entries in “Glass,” “Innovation Lions” and “Titanium Lions” categories. OrCam Technologies was shortlisted for its blind voting initiative, the first of it’s kind. The full shortlist can be found here.

As OrCam Technologies grows, the global awareness for its products and their life-changing features is drawing more attention. The OrCam Research and Development team is constantly creating new features and updates which will help improve the quality of life for people who are blind and visually impaired worldwide. For OrCam, this is just the beginning of the road in providing enablement and independence to people living with disabilities. Read more about how OrCam devices have changed the lives of tens of thousands of its users worldwide so far, with more to come.

Fast Company’s Innovation by Design

Fast Company’s Innovation By Design Awards celebrate trailblazing design in business. All the honorees share one thing: a commitment to solving problems, no matter how big or small, as simply and as beautifully as possible. 

OrCam Technologies was highlighted as a 2018 Honorable Mention in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design award list in the Health category.