Last week, MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge announced its 2018 finalists for Africa. The list is made up of 9 startups spread across three different categories. Each category has three startups under it.
The categories are; income growth and job creation, skills development and opportunity matching as well as technology access. Below is the breakdown of the startups under each category;
Income Growth and Job Creation
- Wefarm
Wefarm is a free, digital, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing network available by SMS for the world’s 500 million small-scale farmers who have no internet. The startup refers to itself as the "world’s largest farmer-to-farmer digital network" with 1.4M questions asked, 2.3M answers given, 980.1k farmers registered as well as 119.4M messages shared.
Founded in 2015 by Kenny Ewan - who still serves as CEO - and headquartered in London, the UK with operations in East Africa - Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Wefarm has raised at least $6.6M in funding. With their latest round of funding being $5M that they raised in March this year in a round led by True Ventures.
2. PrepClass
PrepClass is a platform that connects African learners with tutors who provide the "highest quality of education" to help them reach their learning goals.
Founded in 2013 by Obanor Chukwuwezam and Ogunlana Olumide, PrepClass headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria has operations in three major cities in Nigeria - Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
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According to its CrunchBase profile, the startup has so far raised at least $250,000 in funding which came from GSMA Ecosystem accelerator last year.
3. Wesabi
Wesabi is a Nigerian online service network platform that connects skilled and unskilled workers in the blue-collar sector to individuals and businesses.
The company was founded in 2015 by Sanni Murtala and Zainab Oyewo, with headquarters in Lagos, and operations in Abuja as well. Wesabi has raised at least $20,000 in seed funding.
Technology Access
- Safi Organics
Safi Organics is an agro-business startup that produces and sells organic fertilizer to rural farmers. The startup was founded in April 2015, by Kevin Kung and Samuel Rigu, with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Safi Organics also operates in Burundi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
The firm has received recognition from a number of start-up competitions, entrepreneur programs, and other organizations such as the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge, the Tony Elemelu Foundation, and the Total Challenge - Kenya.
2. Solar Freeze
Solar Freeze is a renewable energy startup that provides small-scale farmers with access to solar powered tools for better agricultural productivity. It was founded by Dismas Kisilu and Kisilu Kombo in January 2017.
The company has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya with availability in Ethiopia as well. Solar Freeze was awarded the $50,000 Energy Prize for its pitch at the 2018 Seedstars Summit.
3. AgroCenta
AgroCenta is an online platform that connects smallholder farmers directly to the market. The company is ably backed by GreenTec Capital Partners who support them with funding, business development, and network access.
Founded in 2015 by Francis Obirikorang and Michael K. Ocansey, the company is headquartered in Accra, Ghana. AgroCenta has raised at least $500,000 in seed funding having won the Seedstars World Global Competition 2018. It also counts Germany-based GreenTec capital among its investors.
Skills Development & Opportunity Matching
- Lynk
Lynk is a technology platform that builds an ‘entrepreneurship infrastructure’ to connect workers to clients - targeting the informal sector. The company was founded in 2015 by Adam Grunewald and Johannes Degn with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
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According to its CrunchBase profile, the startup has so far raised at least $1,300,000 in seed funding, as well as an undisclosed grant received from GSMA Ecosystem accelerator early this year.
2. Brave Venture Labs
Brave Venture Labs is a talent-matching software that uses artificial intelligence to identify and match skilled people to companies hiring in Africa. It was founded in 2016 by Ibanga Umanah and Jessica Colaco, with a base in Nairobi, Kenya.
3. Moringa School
Moringa School is a Kenya-based accelerator that provides digital and professional skills training for aspiring developers. Founded in 2014, by Audrey Cheng and Frank Tamre, the startup operates in Nairobi but has extended relations beyond the city.
The school partnered with Outbox Kampala in June 2018 to offer a series of coding boot camps to potential software developers.
MIT states that the first-place winner in each category, together with the Zambezi Prize Winner, will proceed to the Global Grand Prize Celebration at MIT.
MEET THE 2018 @MIT_IIC AFRICA FINALISTS! The 9 Finalists now head to the Regional Celebration in Nairobi, Kenya on AUG. 29 to vie for prizes. The @mitlegatum Zambezi Prize winner + 3 IIC Regional Winners proceed to MIT on NOV. 8 where $1MILL USD will be awarded. pic.twitter.com/fyUOACpw8q
— MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge (@MIT_IIC) August 9, 2018