KIGALI, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Five startups received cash awards for innovative solutions designed to address local challenges on Sunday during the closing of a forum for African youth in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.
The five winners presented their innovations at the Youth Connekt Africa Summit, a pan-African initiative connecting young people for social and economic transformation.
They were finalists in Hanga PitchFest 2024, a project where competitors vie for a share of 110 million Rwandan francs (about 80,645 U.S. dollars) in grants.
Sinc Today Ltd. won first prize of 50 million Rwandan francs. The startup seeks to transform Africa's events industry with a one-in-all platform for event discovery and management, easy ticket purchasing and sustainability and inclusivity to combat waste and boost visibility.
The second prize of 20 million Rwandan francs went to Geuza Ltd., which seeks to empower people with disabilities across Africa through affordable assistive devices like crutches, walkers, and prosthetics made from recycled electronic waste.
The third winner, Afya Wave, was awarded 15 million francs. It seeks to invest in developing low-cost medical-grade ultrasound devices to bridge the gap in accessing sonographic services for mothers in remote and underserved communities in East Africa.
The fourth winner, Clenville Ltd., focuses on improving plastic waste management through an innovative app that incentivizes users to segregate recyclables.
In fifth place was Lifeline, a startup that offers a software platform designed to enhance access to emergency medications through integrating in-house and third-party insurance with outpatient drug tracking.
The fourth and fifth winners each received 12.5 million Rwandan francs.
Rwandan Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire said that Hanga PitchFest, now in its fourth edition, has in four years supported over 1,000 startups.
"We want Hanga PitchFest to grow beyond just Rwanda to become a continental platform that provides opportunities for young people," she said.
Ingabire said that through a one-year program of business development and acceleration, the winners are connected with funders who provide essential capital, enabling them to reach the next stage, secure their first clients, and ultimately scale.
Closing the forum, Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente said that since its inception, Youth Connekt Africa has played a key role in upscaling entrepreneurship and innovation to drive Rwanda toward becoming a knowledge-based economy.
"As the world shifts toward digital and technology-driven jobs, investment in skilling our youth is imperative," he said. "The government of Rwanda believes that innovation and creativity are key drivers in supporting and empowering talented youth to create jobs and drive economic growth."
"Our young people must be equipped with the necessary skills to reach their full potential and play their critical role in driving our continent's transformation. To achieve this, there is a need for targeted investments and strategic partnerships between all stakeholders to leverage the young people's skills and innovation," Ngirente said.
This year's summit, under the theme "Jobs for Youth Through Innovative Skilling," drew more than 3,000 young people from across Africa to discuss ways of addressing critical development challenges facing the continent. ■
