Bizfit wins first open data 18 hour challenge

Bizfit, a website that enables users find the optimum location for their business has won Ireland’s first open data 18 hour challenge held at NDRC.
Created by a six person team of designers and developers, the winning idea was judged as being a clear example of how the release of previously inaccessible Government data can deliver a commercial opportunity. The runners up were ‘Just Park’ an app that uses open data to help define cost effective and convenient parking based on location and ‘Distil’ a tool that enables developers to refine, purify and filter open data.
Organised by NDRC’s Inventorium programme, with a judging panel that included Microsoft Ireland and the Irish Internet Association, the event saw over 80 developers, designers and entrepreneurs compete to create viable business ideas using newly available open data provided by Dublin City and Fingal County Councils. The top three winners get cash prizes from Microsoft and Dublin City Council and access to mentoring and commercialisation support from NDRC’s Inventorium and LaunchPad programmes.
Pictured (l-r) are: Mark Kearns, judging panel, NDRC; Conor Calahane, National Centre for Geocomputation; Robb Micthell, Telecosy; Anja Jentzsch, Freie Universität Berlin; Gary Leeson, Romhaire Research; Udo Reubach; and Sandra Garcia, CLARITY.