COVID-19 Health Travel Visas

After a 2020 of unprecedented situations provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have started to think of unprecedented solutions. Thus, we are proposing to help multiple countries in the Latin-American and Caribbean region, enabling them to become the first ones using blockchain tecnology, leapfrogging digitization directly into the most secure and intelligent travel health cards.

Motivated on the reactivation of tourism and trade in the region, we are offering to help towards re-opening borders in the most responsible way. Our solution is a cloud-based platform to issue Blockchain-backed Health Travel Cards that will allow for the following:

●Immediate web-based, mobile-friendly deployment
●Authentication (2FA) and role-based authorization
●Online profile and health assessment (travel in a safer way)
●Administration of applications with color-coded traveler status
●Communication between government and travelers
●Blockchain-backed QR-code based health travel cards with 4-steps verification (tampering, expiration, revocation and authenticity)
●Geo-based dashboard (QR tracing)
●Data protection and privacy compliance
●Online payments processing (sustainable fee model)

Just focusing in Latin America, countries that need urgent action are growing. Taking a look at the following image from endcoronavirus.org, how many Latin-American countries do you see?

Now, take a look at this next image from https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi, how many countries from Latin-America do you see perceived as highly corrupt (red ones)?

In short, Latin America is being hit hard with the pandemic and it has the worst perceptions about its authorities. At the same time, two crucial things are happening during this pandemic times.

1. Subsistence of vulnerable communities and infected ones (including people living in the same home) depending on social policies implemented by Governments.
2. Closed borders for trade and traveling.

So, we have an exponentially increasing amount of people depending on the governments, which they don't trust, and they can't find a way out because economy has stopped. Worst for those Caribbean countries, which income is merely tourism.

That's the problem OS City is addressing for health security and pandemics, how can we make governments trustworthy and at the same time bring the opportunity to re-open economy in a responsible way. 

We developed a gov-tech platform using exponential technologies to do digital mapping of needs and vulnerabilities, use artificial intelligence to increase transparency and efficiency in government operations and processes, and use blockchain to securely allocate and trace subsidies, permits, procurements and purchases in favor of the vulnerable communities. Through our modular, open source software, we are allowing governments to self-tailor their digitization strategy making technology transfer for the public sector accessible and de-risked.

In simple terms, one of this modules is about issuing Blockchain Certificates, which represent the most secure digital assets in the world. These certificates can be used as Health Travel Cards (visas) so that countries can reopen trade and tourism in a controlled and responsible way. Travelers representing the least probability to spread the virus get a visa to travel into and within the countries. This visa is going to be blockchain-backed, so a QR can be generated and scanned by travel service providers or border control personnel. Scanning will take into the digital asset and it can be verified with a button to check for tampering, authenticity, expiration and revocation. Also, data from tourists and QRs can help Tourism and Health agencies for "business" intelligence.

If we focus on the Blockchain module for Health Travel Cards, main users are public officials issuing and controlling border crossing, and travelers. Secondary users are local commerces and companies by reopening trade and tourism.

But we can also think about subsidies traceability and the impact on reducing the misappropriation of funds by increasing government's transparency. In this case, main users are public officials and employees, who use the platform for management and allocation of social policies; secondly, it is used by the beneficiaries of the subsidies, who can access their own information, and c) general public, easy to use by citizens of any age, particularly young people using smartphones and sharing their concerns online.

Trade and tourism have stopped because of a pandemic. Health security is a major concern. Blockchain is humanity's top technology in terms of security. Issuing blockchain-based health cards can help to reopen in a secure and responsible way in the midst of a pandemic. On top of that, serving transparency modules can increase trust levels when they're needed the most.

Unlike others, we offer a long-term solution that builds greater insights over time using the government's unique data. We ship our platform with a modular set of services that work as building blocks to fulfill government’s most pressing needs, and then let the market give continuous access to new and better modules. We are creating the Govstore, an ecosystem for government transformation that facilitates innovation transfer, promotes safer modernization, lowers development costs and accelerates emergent technology adoption. 

For example, using Blockchain Certificates for Health Travel Cards may result in extended services of commercial or construction permits (e.g. https://certif.grecia.go.cr/), liquor-selling licenses (e.g. https://alcoholes.sn.gob.mx), even on the certification (openly verifiable by anyone) of policemen (e.g. https://inspeccion.sn.gob.mx). 

Additionally, using the City Listener module can add pandemic-specific emergent needs into authorities intelligence and serve notifications to citizens (e.g. https://youtu.be/-yxB8-ixuJo). 

On top of that, we can use subsidies mapping and traceability. All on the same digital space. 

This increasing offer, within an api-first platform ready to integrate more services is something that not only makes OS City innovative, but unique.

Health Travel Cards use Blockchain (issuing visas) and Cloud computing (managing visas). But the platform we serve is way more powerful. See the next image.

In a Health Visas and Transparency scenarios, core technology should be something like this.

Cloud Computing to serve the platform over the internet as a web, mobile-friendly application. 

Collecting multiple sources of information in the same platform allows for Data Science and Machine Learning algorithms to aid in the detection of clusters and patterns of travelers or necessities. 

Blockchain to certify each step in the process of social support or subsidies such as application for grants or subsidies, allocation of them, and accountability on how the resources were used. This will provide a digital, secure, transparent and traceable dynamic of economic vulnerable communities support.

Blockchain to issue traveler's visas. This will provide a digital, secure, transparent and traceable digital assets for reopening trade and tourism responsibly.

Perhaps best evidence has been published by UNICEF Innovation in this article: https://www.unicef.org/innovation/fundgraduate/OSCity

OS City's trajectory contains evidence that this technology works and that impact is real. Please refer to http://awards.os.city/ for a precise list on awards, nominations and media press. Most relevant ones are summarized herein.

• Our CEO was featured as one of the 14 latin-americans to change the world by Entrepreneur.com
• Our CEO was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2020
• Featured as a Govtech Top 100 Global Companies by IE PublicTechLab
• Featured as one of the Top 20 Startups in Mexico by Contxto
• Featured as a Govtech Top 100 Global Companies by DKV Global
• Featured as Blockchain for Social Impact by the Stanford University's Center for Social Impact
• Positively referred by Apolitical, Carlos Santiso
• Funded by ETCLab Fund Blockchain Cohort 2019
• Nominated by Newsweek Blockchain Impact Awards 2019Positively referred by Forbes
• Funded by UNICEF’s Innovation Fund Blockchain Cohort 2019
• Incubated at SU Ventures, NASA's AMES Research Center, Silicon Valley

We’re changing the way in which governments reopen borders for trade and tourism during a pandemic. Additionally, we're changing how governments decide where to invest money to help the vulnerable, at the same time, we enhance transparency and traceability of those resources. On one hand, we’re deploying an AI-aided tool for data-driven decision-making in the allocation of subsidies and grants for the vulnerable. Better information collection and availability allows proactive behaviour when needs and opportunities arise improving decision-making, increasing efficiency, enhancing communication and collaboration, and boosting performance. On the other hand, we’re allowing the blockchain-backed registration, traceability, efficiency and transparency (real time) of the travelers and the granting of assets related to welfare policies for the vulnerable. So, we increase the confidence of where to put the money and we impede any manipulation or deviation of travelers' records, subsidies, procurements and purchases. In other words, we’re eradicating mayor causes for malfunction of social policies for vulnerable during pandemics by enhancing transparency, traceability and collaboration between stakeholders for better resource allocation; while enabling to the reopening of trade and tourism in a responsible way.

Speaking about blockchain these are the results currently achieved.

• Successfully created and integrated blockchain digital certificates into their city platform issuing 10,000 certs reaching a population of 650,000 in Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile that interact with local institutions receiving the unprecedented, tamper-proof and most secure digital assets including:

  • Education: Certified the graduation of 380 students from two schools in Argentina

  • Government: Certified 8000 public records ranging from commercial licenses, permits, city inspectors, energy records and public lottery registries in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico.

  • Supply Chain: Certified 15 brands including wine derivatives in Argentina and indigenous handcrafted products in Mexico

  • Social Sector: Issued 770 certificates including the Latin American Cada Dia Cuenta Hackathon participation certificates and sustainability commitments with the Observatory for Sustainable Development in Spain.

In the next year, we expect to increase those numbers including Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador and The Bahamas. Yet working in the govtech industry during a pandemic is highly uncertain, we won't be confident about numbers today, at least we expect to double current numbers.

In five years, we expect to leverage our current contracts such as building the National Blockchain Roadmap for the Presidency of Argentina, to provide Blockchain Citizen IDs and reach full population of at least one on the countries we're serving today.

1 Year: product development reaching self-service deployment and blockchain ID; business development reaching closer formal collaboration with current partners.
2 Year: market expansion through Latin-America, reaching more public institutions hand-in-hand with our core partners.
5 Year: product development reaching first platform modules completely developed by third-parties without intervention of OS City; business development getting us into the de facto company to create a future vision for your government.
20 Year: we have built the ecosystem transforming Latin Americas' public sector into a data-driven decision-maker, bringing efficiency, trust and sustainability to every government

We're a startup, our target customer is the public sector, and we're living under unprecedented circumstances of a pandemic. This makes our plans risky in terms of revenue and financials. We depend on government's clarity to bet on a better future and today that's very opaque for them. 

Also, Blockchain has still a long way to become properly adopted in legal terms by most of Latin America's countries.

And finally, reaching our customers usually meant traveling, which is prohibited today. 

Financial is happening through the collaboration with multilateral organizations. The OAS connecting us to governments, CAF financing pilot projects, UNICEF investing on our newest developments.

Legal, we've been closely collaborating with the OECD, here you can see us showcasing in its HQs in Paris on October 2019. This opens the opportunity for a major change in regulations promoted by the OECD to its 35 member countries. 

And finally, our typical customer has changed habits. A has-to-be physical meeting at their offices, now has the face of zoom or google's meet. This has become our best plan to overcome the non-traveling moment. 

13 people

10 full-time

3 part-time

UNICEF's described us once as "The brains and muscles in politics and technology". We believe that.

We are experts in politics and technology, PhDs in Artificial Intelligence trained on making an impact in the world by Singularity University, PhDs in Economics and Political Science, Data Scientists, building core government tools to create the future of government. See the CVs of 2 of the co-founders Jesus and Lucas. Essentially:

• Jesús Cepeda: PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Singularity University GSP, WEF YGL 2020

• Lucas Jolías: MsC Political Science, +10yrs GovTech Consulting

• Jesús Del Bosque: MsC in Intelligent Systems, Industry Project Management

• Alecs Garza: Data Scientist, Founded 5yr Data Analysis Company

• Alejandro Prince: PhD in Economics & Political Science, +30yrs Consulting Company

• Pamela, Blanca, Damasia leading data, blockchain and sustainability

• Jaime, Yael, José, Iván leading software development and user experience

We work together with key technology partners including UNICEF Innovation, Ethereum Classic Labs, Ethereum Foundation, Singularity University and Google. We work together with key public sector partners including CAF, OAS, WEF, IDB and OECD. 

With all these ingredients and our geographical distributions we have demonstrated potential on connecting Latin-American public servants to the latest knowledge, skills, partners and technologies through the first App Store for public institutions, what we call the GovStore.

Having the MIT Solve team in our lines will even better position ourselves to deliver our solution.

We work together with key technology partners including:

• UNICEF Innovation, they've invested in OS City making us part of its Blockchain Cohort and Cryptofund, and also raising credibility for the company (e.g this tweet)
• Ethereum Classic Labs, they've accelerated and invested in OS City, bringing reliability in the use of Blockchain
• Singularity University, we are Global Solutions Program 2017 Alumni and incubates from that same year, bringing a huge vision on the future and a deep reasoning behind OS City's why.
• Ethereum Foundation, they've invested in OS City through UNICEF's Cryptofund and its Executive Director is an OS City's highly-connected de facto endorsement.
• Google, we were part of its Startup Program and now Technology Partners when serving the public sector and smart cities markets 

We work together with key public sector partners including:

• CAF, they finance some our customers to implement our technologies
• OAS, we give workshops with them, we're Open Government Fellows of the OAS and they usually connect our solutions with public administrations problems. They're the reason why we got into Health Travel Visas at the national level of multiple countries.
• WEF, our CEO is a Young Global Leader 2020 raising OS City's visibility world wide and also plays and active role in the Global Council for Future Cities
• IDB, our CEO is part of the fAIrLaC Council to raise consciousness on data privacy and ethical AI. Also we've served multiple consulting services with IDB
• OECD for visibility and blockchain validation

Health Travel Visas are charged transactionally per issued visa. Other platform modules are served in a SaaS model with annual licensing either individually or bundled.

Selling to governments represents high uncertainty, so financial sustainability is better represented by the following image. Yellow, we license modules per year. Red, we gain visibility by giving freemium to first movers. Blue Chill, looking for partners to keep innovating (this is you!). Dodger Blue, creating a community of knowledge and mutual support (e.g. http://govtech.lat,  we're organizing the first GovTech Summit in Latin America). Purple, we reuse our technologies for impact and business purposes in other sectors (e.g. tracing handcrafted products using blockchain the same way we trace subsidies and travelers).

• Join a supportive community of peers, funders, and experts to help advance our innovative work through Solve's nine-month program;

• Receive mentorship and strategic advice from Solve and MIT networks;

• Attend Solve at MIT, our annual flagship event in May; and

• Receive access to nearly $2 million in prize funding for the 2020 Challenges.

• Health Prize. A minimum prize of US$300,000 spread over two years, with potential for additional funding.

• Professional management and development services, mentorship and coaching, educational training, capacity building, and connection with influencers, industry leaders, and experts through Elevate Prize Foundation’s two-year program.

• A tailored media and marketing campaign aimed at amplifying their work, building recognition and a fanbase around the hero, and ultimately inspiring others to contribute to the public good.

• Access to a dynamic network of Elevate Prize heroes and partners.

• Gain powerful exposure and credibility

We understand the world-changing vision of Solver teams, and want you to be part of our tribe to build the future of governments:

Why: Governments’ bureaucratic processes and trust levels are driving us into environmental, social and economic collapse. 

How: Connecting Latin-American public servants to the latest knowledge, skills, partners and technologies to accelerate governments' transformation into platforms of digital services 

What: The first App Store for public institutions, we call it the GovStore, a one-stop shop where governments can find technology modules to digitize their processes in an interoperable way

We are working for a more sustainable world, fighting corruption and fostering smarter citizenship with exponential technologies. We know MIT SOLVE is one of the best place-time opportunities to be in terms of social impact. Join Solve’s community and receive mentorship, resources, and strategic advice to scale work and strengthen our team is a promise for growth.

- MIT Blockcerts (the team that developed the open standard), to improve our knowledge on the use of the protocol

- Sidewalk Labs: to refine our knowledge about cities and technology

- MIT Media Lab: to improve our knowledge about exponential technologies

- Accela: to integrate them on our platform and offer their solutions in LatAm

- Google Jigsaw: to expand our network of organizations focused on technology and social impact.

- Alex “Sandy” Pentland (advisory board)

- Cesar Hidalgo (advisory board)

• We're addressing critical problems related to the pandemic using Blockchain. Essentially for:

  • Critical data security, difficult to alter, and open to both the rich and the poor

  • Transaction integrity, efficiency, and auditability

  • Open standards ensuring longevity and portability

  • Streamline, control and monitoring of public procurement, tendering and purchasing

  • Third-party (citizen) auditable licenses and permits

  • Re-open trade and tourism responsibly

• We use Artificial intelligence for improving government's efficiency and trust. Essentially to:

  • Create deeper connection between government and constituents

  • Streamline government processes making digital data work for accountability

  • Reveal, prevent and even predict corruption and red tape, reducing discretionality, and accelerating innovation

  • Efficiently allocate personnel to areas of need

  • Improve accuracy relative to traditional decision-making and prioritization

• Potential humanitarian/social impact use cases by core technology

  • Cloud computing and open-source.

    • On-demand, self-service internet infrastructure

    • Great potential in the democratization of hyper-connected digital services

    • Shared APIs and components fostering a scalable business model 

    • Boosts access, collaboration and diversity, spurring increased innovation

    • Joins efforts across the globe

  • Artificial intelligence.

    • Create deeper connection between government and constituents

    • Streamline government processes making digital data work for accountability

    • Reveal, prevent and even predict corruption and red tape, reducing discretionality, and accelerating innovation

    • Efficiently allocate personnel to areas of need

    • Improve accuracy relative to traditional decision-making and prioritization

  • Blockchain.

    • Critical data security, difficult to alter, and open to both the rich and the poor

    • Transaction integrity, efficiency, and auditability

    • Open standards ensuring longevity and portability

    • Streamline, control and monitoring of public procurement, tendering and purchasing

    • Third-party (citizen) auditable licenses and permits 

  • Overall

    • Improve constituents’ lives

    • Increase government operational control

    • Optimize resource utilization

    • Recapture government revenues 

    • Increase public worker productivity and constituent satisfaction