Congratulations to Applaud, the winners of this year’s AI Award.

Applaud has redefined the role of AI  in human resources through its deployment at Smith+Nephew, delivering a cloud-based, AI-native platform that simplifies, personalises and scales HR support across a global workforce. 

Known as People+Connect, the platform integrates Gen AI with enterprise systems like Workday, ServiceNow and Saba – unifying fragmented HR infrastructure into a seamless, consumer-grade employee experience.

At the core of the solution is a 24/7 AI Assistant, functioning as a digital HR Business Partner that handles thousands of multilingual queries monthly. 

It intelligently navigates a vast library of HR documents and training materials, providing hyper-personalised responses while offering human escalation when needed. 

A dynamic knowledge management layer, enhanced with real-time analytics, continuously refines content accuracy, tone and bias. 

This ensures the workforce, spanning over 100 countries, is empowered with relevant, accessible support in their native language.

Smith+Nephew saw dramatic results within three months and employee satisfaction also surged.

Applaud’s focus on ethical AI use – built-in domain controls, human oversight, no customer data used for model training – strengthens enterprise trust and security.

Beyond the Smith+Nephew case, Applaud’s wider deployments deliver a high ROI.

By embedding Gen AI into the fabric of HR, Applaud elevates the employee experience while reducing operational complexity. Its success demonstrates the future of AI in HR: decentralised, human-first and inherently adaptive.

The Global Tech & AI Awards 2025

Held on 14 May at 155 Bishopsgate, the Global Tech & AI Awards provided a rare opportunity to spotlight the people and organisations redefining what’s possible in the technology industry.

These awards shone a light on the breakthroughs that others can learn from and build upon, rewarding not only technical excellence but strategic impact, customer value and ethical application.

AI Award

Celebrating innovative AI applications, this award highlights solutions that solve real-world problems, improve efficiency and enhance customer experiences. 

It honours ethical, responsible AI usage with measurable impacts on organisations or industries. The winning projects set new standards in leveraging AI for productivity, creativity and transformative change.

Shortlisted companies:

• Jupiter Intelligence
• Rimm Sustainability
• Jio Platforms Limited
• Fincantieri
• BigID
• MARSS
• Hangzhou EZVIZ Network Co., Ltd.

Highly commended - Jupiter Intelligence & Rimm Sustainability

Jupiter Intelligence

Jupiter Intelligence is a US-based climate risk analytics firm that delivers AI-powered modelling tools to help businesses understand and mitigate the physical impacts of climate change.

Its flagship platform, ClimateScore Global, offers high-resolution, scenario-based projections for risks such as flooding, wildfires, extreme heat and sea-level rise. 

These insights are particularly valuable for sectors like insurance, infrastructure and financial services, where regulatory compliance and long-term asset resilience are paramount.

In 2024, the company introduced Jupiter AI, a generative AI tool that allows users to interrogate climate risk data using natural language. 

This innovation aims to make climate analytics more accessible across enterprises, enabling decision-making without requiring technical expertise.

Jupiter’s tools support alignment with frameworks such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). 

With over US$100m in investment, including a US$54m Series C led by ClearVision Ventures, Jupiter is scaling its reach to meet growing global demand for actionable climate intelligence.

Rimm Sustainability

Rimm Sustainability, headquartered in Singapore and founded in 2020, provides digital ESG management solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes. 

At the core of its offering is myCSO, a cloud-based platform that leverages AI to help organisations monitor ESG performance, ensure compliance with emerging regulations such as the CSRD, and generate auditable reports for stakeholders. 

Rimm’s approach is defined by its emphasis on accessibility, aiming to simplify sustainability management without compromising on analytical rigour.

Co-founded by Ravi Chidambaram and Tommy Tan, Rimm is gaining traction among SMEs and multinational corporations alike. 

Its tools are designed to navigate the complexity of regional regulatory landscapes, making it suitable for companies operating across borders. 

With a presence in Singapore, Tokyo and London, and clients in over ten countries, Rimm has raised US$3m in seed funding from investors such as Beenext and Unison Partners. 

By combining an intuitive interface with expert-led support, the platform helps organisations embed sustainability into their operations more effectively.

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