Jade wins $1M Zayed Sustainability Prize for Health innovation

There are tech wins, and then there's this. A small team with a big mission just snagged one of the world's most respected sustainability awards. Jade Autism (or just Jade), backed by Abu Dhabi's Hub71, took home the $1 million Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Health category. It's the kind of victory that makes you sit up and take notice, not just for the cash prize but for what it represents: technology that's not chasing buzzwords but changing lives.

The win was announced in front of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. For a startup born of personal experience, it's validation at the highest level.

How does it work?

At its core, Jade is both smart and simple. It blends:

• AI and machine learning: To make sense of subtle patterns in behavior.
• Gamified interactions: Kids play digital games while the system quietly gathers cognitive and eye-tracking data.
• Actionable insights: The platform turns play into reports that educators and clinicians can actually use.

This isn't just tech for tech's sake. Play is the interface. Kids aren't filling out forms or sitting still. They're engaged. While they play, Jade collects cognitive data, revealing where a child might struggle — whether it's attention, reading, writing or focus. These insights help speed up diagnosis and tailor interventions rather than waiting months for traditional assessments.

Because it runs in multiple languages and formats, the platform scales globally. Today, it's in hundreds of schools and clinics across more than 170 countries.

Why does it matter?

Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD don't wait for perfect conditions. Early detection and intervention can be life-changing. Yet access is painfully uneven in most parts of the world. Jade bridges that gap. It's not an ivory-tower lab experiment. It's a tool used by real schools, clinics and therapists to shape real outcomes.

Founder Ronaldo Lima Cohin Ribeiro nailed it on stage: "We wanted to build technology that could really help neurodivergent children." And he meant it. It's not hype; it's purpose baked into every line of code.

With its new $1 million prize, Jade's not slowing down. Ribeiro has publicly stated a bold goal of reaching five million children over the next five years — a scale that could shift early childhood healthcare norms, especially in underserved regions.

The context

The Zayed Sustainability Prize isn't your typical tech award. Launched in 2008 and named after the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the prize celebrates solutions that deliver meaningful impact in health, food, water, energy and climate. Winners are judged on innovation, impact and scalability.

This year's cohort included innovators tackling biodegradable food packaging, smart energy systems and AI-driven water management — but Jade stood out in health. Its emphasis on inclusion, early intervention and real-world use cases struck a chord with judges.

For Hub71, the victory feeds into another narrative: Abu Dhabi as a global launchpad for startups with serious social impact. Jade's journey from Brazil to the UAE, and on to the world stage, shows how ecosystem support — from capital access to strategic partnerships — can amplify a founder's vision.