These ideas from the Asia-Pacific region are empowering people with tech and sports
Innovation in the Asia-Pacific region is quickly finding new ways to engage people. This year’s World Changing Ideas honorees from the region operate in different worlds, but both are game changers. Ovum is a tech-forward solution, transforming women’s health with AI tools. The Hoop Jeep, on the other hand, uses an instantly recognizable mode of transport to bring basketball to local communities. Whether pioneering new ideas or revitalizing old ones, these Asia-Pacific companies are reshaping their industries by pinpointing a problem and thinking outside of the box. Winners HoopJeep, HoopbusHoopJeep transforms Jeepneys—an iconic Filipino mode of public transportation—into mobile basketball courts, bringing basketball and belonging to remote, underserved communities in the Philippines. An offshoot of Venice Beach, California–based HoopBus, HoopJeep launched in summer 2025 through a partnership with private equity firm JDS Sports’ Play With Purpose. HoopJeep’s “vehicles for change” drive low-barrier and high-energy moments of connection, hosting no-cost tournaments, sports clinics, and mentorship programs. In the past year, the nonprofit has installed 40 basketball rims and donated more than 200 pairs of sneakers and 1,000 basketballs to low-income barangays. Ovum AI, OvumIn a medical world that has long lagged in women’s care, Ovum—an intelligent health app for women—helps users reach informed diagnoses and advocate for themselves. While many similar apps focus solely on fertility, Melbourne, Australia–based Ovum integrates medical records, symptoms, menstrual cycle, and lifestyle data to paint a dynamic and clinically informed view tailored to each individual user. Launched in August 2025, as of early 2026, the app had amassed more than 8,000 downloads and a retention rate 4x higher than the average health app, and it is in trials with hospitals and medical professionals to support women from puberty to menopause and beyond. Explore the full list of Fast Compan