MultiplexAI has been awarded Second Prize in the 10th edition of Red Cross Humanitarian Technology Awards, a milestone year marking a decade of initiatives recognized for using technology to improve lives, especially for people in vulnerable situations, while keeping a strong focus on person-to-person care.
Red Cross Spain (Cruz Roja Española) announced this year’s awardees after receiving 40 project submissions. The official awards ceremony will take place at 4YFN (Mobile World Congress, Barcelona) on 5 March 2026.
MultiplexAI was recognized for its innovative approach that applies artificial intelligence to microscopy images, working like an “Instagram filter” that can detect parasites and disease patterns quickly and accurately. The system runs on a mobile phone or tablet connected to a microscope via a 3D-printed adapter, enabling expert-level results in real time without the need for an internet connection, a key advantage for remote and resource-constrained settings.
Consortium partners
Nine institutions across five countries in Africa and Europe form this consortium to validate this technology, supported by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP3).
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health – ISGlobal (Spain)
- SpotLab (Spain)
- Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria)
- Fundação Manhiça (Mozambique)
- Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Ivory Coast)
- Jimma University (Ethiopia)
- IRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria (Italy)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain)
- Innovation consultancy Hutzpa (Nigeria)
About the Red Cross Humanitarian Technology Awards
Founded in 2016, the Cruz Roja Humanitarian Technology Awards recognize projects that use technology in innovative ways to address social challenges and generate positive impact. In this 10th anniversary edition, the jury selected five outstanding initiatives across main prizes, a special mention, and the youth category.
Among the other awardees, the jury recognized Dytective, an evidence-based educational platform developed by Change Dyslexia to identify dyslexia risk and strengthen literacy skills through adaptive digital training; MouthX, an assistive intraoral interface that enables hands-free control of digital devices for people with reduced mobility; and two initiatives in the youth category (JASE): One Chance, a low-cost solution designed to enhance the usability of defibrillators in public settings and support rapid response in emergencies, and Guidex, a haptic navigation system embedded in footwear to improve mobility and autonomy for blind users.