SAN JOSE, SILICON VALLEY, Calif., November 16, 2005 - The Tech Museum Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity presented by Applied Materials, Inc., has honored Malnutrition Matters at a black-tie gala for its use of technology to benefit mankind. Malnutrition Matters won an Accenture Economic Development Award.

"We were surprised and honored to be chosen for this," said Frank Daller, President of Malnutrition Matters. "Being such a small organization specialized on food technology for micro-enterprise, we have very limited resources and are not well known."

The Tech Laureate Award is to honor Malnutrition Matters' for its "VitaGoat" food processing system. This technology is a fully non-electric system for food production, including protein-rich soy foods, fruits, vegetables, cereals and grains, to allow the development of small enterprises and social projects for employment generation and food production in poor regions of the developing world. The VitaGoat system consists of an innovative steam boiler that burns almost any fuel, a hygienic pressure cooker, a filter press, and a cycle-driven grinding and mashing system. The unreliable, expensive or unavailable electric supply in many rural regions of the developing world, requires innovative approaches to development such as the VitaGoat system, which requires no electrical power, running water or specific fuel. It has already been installed in five African countries as well as India and North Korea. The system is also intended for technology transfer so it can be built and serviced in developing regions. There are two technology transfers underway in Africa and India. Malnutrition Matters is a registered non-profit organization, based in Ottawa, Canada, since 2000. It is managed by one of its founders, and also has four part-time / personnel.

"The 2005 Tech Museum Awards celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of this year's 25 laureates and their creative applications of technology to the benefit of global humanity," said Mike Splinter, president and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. "While recognizing their great work today, our real hope is that by leveraging the strength and know-how of Silicon Valley we can link these amazing innovators with the resources and tools they need to replicate and extend their innovations to benefit more lives worldwide."

The gala, attended by over 1,100 global technology leaders, philanthropists and guests, honored 25 laureates in total, in the categories of environment, economic development, education, equality and health. The laureates traveled to Silicon Valley from 9 countries for a week of scheduled meetings with potential funders and partners, various speaking engagements, and the black-tie gala. Five of the laureates shared a $250,000 cash prize to further their work.

This year, more than 580 nominations were received, representing 80 countries. The 25 laureates come from Brazil, Canada, Cuba, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. The work for which they are honored impacts people in 115 countries around the world. Nominations for the 2006 Tech Museum Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity are now open. For more information and nomination forms, visit www.techawards.org.

About Malnutrition Matters

Founded in 2000, with a focus on "Food Technology Solutions", Malnutrition Matters is a Canadian-registered non-profit organization with a special approach to technology development for micro-enterprise development and nutrition. With a very small staff and budget, operating out of the homes of four principals and associates, it is focusing on technologies such as the VitaGoat system which can be transferred to developing regions for local manufacture, training and service. Due to its own limited resources and reach, it mainly operates in cooperation with larger partner organizations such as international NGO's, private sector tech transferees in developing countries and other associated parties.

About The Tech Museum Awards

Annually, The Tech Museum Awards honor individuals, for-profit, public and not-for-profit organizations from around the world who apply technology to profoundly improve the human condition in the areas of environment, economic development, education, equality and health. The concept for The Tech Museum Awards and its five categories was inspired in part by The State of the Future report of The Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University, which finds that award recognition is an effective way to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and technological applications to improve the human condition. The Tech Museum Awards were inaugurated in 2001. To date, $1 million in prize money has been disbursed and 100 Laureates recognized for their pioneering work to benefit society through the use and/or development of new technologies.

Judging for The Tech Museum Awards is independently conducted by Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology and Society, a global network of academic and industry experts dedicated to understanding and influencing how science and technology impact society. Judges for the five categories are recruited from research institutions, industry and the public sector around the world.

The Tech Museum Awards Partners

The Tech Museum Awards represent a collaborative effort among educational institutions and business. Applied Materials, Inc. is the presenting sponsor of The Tech Awards. Award sponsors include Intel, Accenture, Microsoft, Agilent Technologies Foundation, Knight Ridder, and Applied Materials.

About The Tech Museum of Innovation

Located in the heart of downtown San Jose, Silicon Valley, Calif., The Tech, a non-profit organization, engages people of all ages and backgrounds in exploring and experiencing the technologies affecting their lives and aims to inspire the innovator in everyone. For more information, visit www.thetech.org or call (408) 294-TECH.

Contacts:

Theresa Chavez, Ketchum Public Relations, 415-984-6138; theresa.chavez@ketchum.com

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