What World Summit Awards does

World Summit Awards (WSA) is a global, not-for-profit awards and recognition initiative founded in 2003 and operated by ICNM (International Center for New Media), a registered Austrian association headquartered in Salzburg with a secondary office in Vienna. WSA identifies, curates, and promotes digital content and innovation solutions that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), operating in the framework of WSIS and with co-funding from the European Union.

WSA's core mechanism is a multi-stage filtering process: National Experts in 182 countries nominate local digital solutions, an international Online Jury shortlists candidates, and a Grand Jury selects the final winners. The main product offerings are the WSA Award (eight SDG-aligned categories plus partner awards and the WSA ix3 track), the WSA Young Innovators program for under-30 innovators, and the WSA Global Congress — an annual flagship event held in Vienna that in 2026 convened more than 500 changemakers from over 90 countries. Supporting products include regional Digital Impact Days, the WSA Online Jury and Grand Jury evaluation programs, and a Young Innovators Shortlist Showcase.

WSA is funded primarily through EU co-funding and institutional partners (including the City of Vienna, ERSTE Foundation, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and UN agencies such as ITU and UNFPA). Application to the program is free for participants, and the organization monetizes neither submissions nor winner designations; instead, value capture occurs through grants, sponsorship, and ecosystem-partner support. Notable documented outcomes from recognized winners include Rekosistem's recovery of over 72,800 tons of waste and generation of USD 20 million in income for informal waste workers, and Safetipin's 6.1 million crowd-sourced safety audits across cities including Delhi, Bogotá, and Nairobi.

Name

World Summit Awards

Legal name

International Center for New Media / ICNM

Website

https://wsa-global.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

World Summit Awards is a global not-for-profit initiative founded in 2003 that recognizes digital innovations contributing to the UN SDGs, using a multi-stage jury process run through National Experts in 182 countries and awarding 40 winners annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Innovation Awards

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH), International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA)

Keywords

• Digital innovation awards
• Social impact recognition
• UN SDG initiatives
• Global award programs
• Youth innovation contests

Headquarters

HQ city

Salzburg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Award and Recognition Services: WSA operates as an award organization that recognizes digital innovations contributing to UN SDGs. The organization is organized by ICNM, a not-for-profit association, and is co-funded by the European Union. Revenue generation is not the primary focus as the organization serves as a global multi-stakeholder community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

WSA operates a multi-stage global award system that identifies, evaluates, and recognizes digital solutions with social impact aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program uses National Experts in 182 countries to nominate local digital solutions, an Online Jury for shortlisting, and a Grand Jury to select final winners. WSA connects recognized winners to a global ecosystem of changemakers, policymakers, and impact-driven founders through its annual Global Congress and year-round networking programs.

Product overview

WSA (World Summit Awards) is a global multi-stakeholder awards organization that identifies and recognizes digital solutions with social impact aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Operating since 2003, WSA runs a multi-stage selection process involving National Experts in 182 countries, an Online Jury, and a Grand Jury to identify exceptional innovators. The core offerings include the WSA Award program (main annual awards), the WSA Young Innovators program for youth under 30, the WSA Global Congress (annual flagship event), and various regional events including Digital Impact Days. The organization connects impact-driven founders with ecosystems, partners, and policymakers while promoting digital humanism and ethical innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WSA Young Innovators: Program specifically for young innovators, a category within the WSA awards system
• WSA ix3
• Partner Awards
• European Young Innovators Festival / EYIF
• WSA Digital Impact Days
• WSA Global Congress

Products and services

• WSA Award Program Annual flagship award program recognizing digital solutions with social impact across 8 categories aligned with UN SDGs (Business & Commerce, Culture & Heritage, Environment & Green Energy, Government & Citizen Engagement, Health & Well-Being, Inclusion & Empowerment, Learning & Education, Smart Settlements & Urbanization). Submissions are nominated by National Experts in 182 countries, screened by an Online Jury, and finalists selected by a Grand Jury.
• WSA Young Innovators Dedicated recognition program targeting young innovators under 30, featuring its own jury process and showcase events for digital solutions addressing UN SDGs. Includes the Young Innovators Shortlist Showcase where teams pitch their digital solutions.
• WSA Global Congress Annual flagship event held in Vienna where the Grand Jury selects final winners. Features networking, pitch presentations, and knowledge exchange among digital impact innovators, with 500+ changemakers from more than 90 countries participating. Held within the ViennaUP startup festival framework.
• WSA Digital Impact Days Regional events hosted by partners in various global locations (e.g., Rio de Janeiro 2025 hosted by Dataprev) that include the Grand Jury process for shortlist evaluation and engage local digital innovation ecosystems.
• WSA Partner Awards Additional award tracks conducted in partnership with external organizations, offering specialized recognition within the WSA framework.
• WSA ix3 Special variant of the WSA award program with related winners showcased on the platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 winners recognized annually from 28+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ICNM (International Center for New Media)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICNM is the organizing body of WSA - a not-for-profit Association registered in Austria (UID-Nr: ATU 56562589). ICNM operates both Salzburg and Vienna offices and is responsible for WSA's overall governance and operations.
• DataprevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian public technology company that hosted the WSA Grand Jury in Rio de Janeiro as part of Impact Days Brazil. Rodrigo Assumpção, President of Dataprev, served as host for the Grand Jury event.
• City of ViennaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna hosted the WSA Global Congress from May 19-22, 2026. The city is known for its commitment to digital humanism and provided venues including Palais Wertheim, Hotel Superbode, and Jugendstiltheater.
• ViennaUPflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Europe's largest startup and innovation festival. WSA Global Congress was held within the ViennaUP framework, providing participants access to a wide range of events, gatherings, and networking opportunities.
• ERSTE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting WSA Global Congress Vienna 2026 as part of the event framework and funding partnerships.
• AWS (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWKO - Austrian Federal Economic Chamber supporting entrepreneurship activities and WSA events.
• Vienna Business AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting startup services and innovation ecosystem development as part of WSA Vienna congress activities.
• Volkshilfe WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services organization contributing to WSA's inclusion and social impact focus.
• SENA (Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting social entrepreneurship in Austria, contributing to WSA's ecosystem.
• United Nations / WSISflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSA operates in the context of UN Sustainable Development Goals and WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society). ITU (International Telecommunication Union) engagement through WSIS and Stakeholder Engagement Division.
• UNDP / UN AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious UN agencies and representatives participate in WSA events and jury processes, including ITU, UNFPA, and other bodies.
• European Commission Representation in AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU representation supporting WSA activities and European innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• NetHope: Member-driven consortium of international NGOs using technology for development programs globally, with shared digital-for-good mission and event ecosystem; comparable as an international NGO/development-oriented technology community platform.

Direct peers

• ITU WSIS Prizes: ITU's World Summit on the Information Society Prizes honor outstanding ICT/digital initiatives contributing to SDGs; WSA itself operates within the WSIS framework. Highly comparable peer in scope, SDG alignment, and UN-anchored recognition.
• Ashoka: Global network identifying and supporting leading social entrepreneurs, with country-level scouting analogous to WSA's National Expert network; comparable in mission (social impact recognition/community) and distributed international operating model.
• MIT Solve: MIT Solve runs a global open-innovation challenge and community identifying tech-driven solutions to social challenges, with a multi-stage jury process and cohort programming; directly comparable to WSA's jury-driven international recognition model for digital impact innovators.
• Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs: Recognizes and networks social entrepreneurs globally through the World Economic Forum ecosystem, including community platforms and an annual cohort; comparable to WSA in mission (identifying impact innovators globally) and operating model (community + recognition + ecosystem access).
• Solar Impulse Foundation: Curates and labels solutions meeting profitability and sustainability criteria through a multi-stage evaluation process; operates the Efficient Solutions Label that benchmarks innovations—directly comparable to WSA's jury-based recognition of digital solutions aligned with sustainability/SDG outcomes.
• GSMA Mobile Innovation Awards: Annual award categories recognizing mobile/digital innovation with social impact, run by the GSMA—closely comparable to WSA's annual award cycle recognizing digital innovation with social/development impact across multiple categories.

Broad incumbents

• European Innovation Council (EIC): EU-backed innovation funding and recognition program supporting breakthrough and scaling-stage digital and deep-tech ventures; comparable given WSA's EU co-funding and SDG-aligned digital-innovation focus.
• Google.org Impact Challenge: Corporate-led open call and grant challenge funding tech nonprofits addressing major social problems globally; broader in scope and capital-deploying (versus recognition-only) but comparable as a large-scale digital-impact recognition and funding mechanism.

Emerging players

• Echoing Green: Fellowship and leadership development program for social innovators, with a cohort model and global alumni network; partial overlap with WSA's recognition-and-community approach, focused more on emerging leaders including youth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WSAoffice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wsaTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldsummitawards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-summit-awards
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldsummitawards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Summit Awards