Alex Rose-Innes
Various African digital start-ups had been selected to receive substantial financial injection (Euro 15 000) from the *GIZ Innovation Factory’s Digital Innovation Accelerator Programme (see below.)
From Ethiopia, Ghana and Senegal, breakthrough digital innovations were chosen for these awards. These had been especially tailored for African continental needs to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.
Bithio Learning in Ethiopia is a digital learning space for students and educational institutions offering online and offline materials accessible anytime and anywhere;
eCampus, Ghana is a web platform using artificial intelligence to support students, educators and schools in co-ordinating, monitoring and managing students’ education needs;
E-repetiteur in Senegal, a web and mobile platform to support middle and high school students’ learning by providing them with interactive video lessons, exercises, test examples and more;
FarmWallet, Ghana will assist smallholder farmers across Africa and the Caribbean to access financing through a scan able smart card;
Naa Sika, Ghana is a fintech solution for users from low-income households with an e-wallet and savings accounts;
According to Clemens Kapler from BMZ Division for Digital Technologies in Development Co-operation, in selecting these start-ups, gender equality, education and climate action were the main criteria for winning. Kapler called these entrepreneurial enterprises “excellent examples in addressing the most pressing global issues.”
These teams were evaluated by 17 international experts representing start-up investors and ecosystem supporters from five target countries.
Under the Digital Innovation Global Programme, 47 start-ups across the globe were selected to undergo a six-month training programme. It supported these innovations with capacity building, business models and pitch strategy refinement. Sustainable development impact optimisation and investment readiness were also addressed with gender equality, environmental climate action, and EduTech as the highest drivers of final selection.
The Digital Innovation Accelerator, initially an in-person workshop format, was converted and delivered virtually due to lockdowns, curfews and strict social distancing measures as a result of the global pandemic, preventing in-person workshops in many countries. For many of these teams, it was the first time they experienced a hands-on programme conducted virtually.
At the end of the acceleration phase, teams submitted their refined business and financial plans and pitch decks to compete for the final award. The 12 winning teams would not only receive financial support packages, but also profit as members of the innovation factory and GIZ network. All these African winners can be accessed on Facebook and Twitter.
*Innovation Factory
The Innovation Factory programme was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
