Ten Nigerian start-ups have emerged finalists for the 2020 Next Einstein Challenge of Invention to Innovation competition in five categories to be held next month in Kenya.

The 25 finalists were selected from about 260 ambitious African start-ups developing scalable solutions to local challenges in agriculture, integration and logistics, personalised and precision health among others.

The finalists were selected by reviewing the potential for impact, technological readiness and the potential for commercialization, Winners in each category will be announced on 13th March 2020.

“The finalists will pitch for a $25,000 cash prize in each category but also be connected to investors in a one-of-a-kind ‘Sciencepreneur Investor Meetup,” said Nathalie Munyampenda, managing director of the Next Einstein Forum.

“For the last six years, we have been working with young African innovators whose disruptive and transformative innovations in health, agriculture, and fintech are having a wider impact for African citizens,” Munyampenda said.

She added that Next Einstein Forum is honoured to give the 25 sciencepreneurs a platform to connect with investors they need to scale impact.

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Among the 10 Nigerian listed start-ups are; AirSynQ, FrontierSS, GRICD, Hydrotriciton, Ifymoto, POKER, Powerstove Offgrid, Reeddi, Salubata, and Vinsighte.

The ten of them with other selected finalists will be treated to a lab-style bootcamp to be held before the NEF Global Gathering 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya next month.

The bootcamp will involve pitch preparation and investment readiness sessions. At the end of the bootcamp, the young sciencepreneurs will gain knowledge of how to create and deliver value through their solutions as well as understanding funding options & valuations.

The finalists include the creators of an overweight and obesity tracking database, portable solar-powered solution against post-harvest losses, ophthalmic devices emerging as the world’s first definitive treatment of glaucoma, an online blood bank connecting hospitals, and two innovations aiming to ease the burden of doing business in Africa: a cryptocurrency and industrial IoT solution.

Josephine Okojie 

Josephine Okojie-Okeiyi is a journalist with over five years’ reporting experience. She writes on industry, agriculture, commodities, climate change, and environmental issues. She is fellow of Thomson Reuters Foundation and Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa.

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