We have our winners! - GMES and Africa Incubation Challenge 2021
On 3rd November, 2021, the GMES and Africa Incubation Challenge ended. The Challenge officially began on the 9th of August, 2021, recording over 70 applicants from all over Africa. It has been an interesting 14 week journey. 15 teams were initially selected for the first phase of the challenge. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, our teams connected through virtual means using Google Meet. The participants were taken through training sessions to help them fully develop their ideas using IOT and making use of scientific data in their solutions.
On the 11th of October, 2021, eight (8) teams made it to the second phase (Bootcamp) of the challenge. We welcomed 4 teams from Ghana, 2 teams from Kenya, 1 team from Egypt and 1 team from Cameroon.
(from top left) Team Envirosavers (Oil Detector) - Egypt, Team HAB (FeedIt) - Ghana, Team Icthus (Smart AquaPak) - Ghana, Team Curie-Tech (Project Curiosity)- Ghana, Traza Geospatials - Ghana, Team Locked (Maritime Fisheries Management)- Kenya, Team Trace (Trace Kit) - Kenya and Team Byteforce (Byte) - Cameroon.
The bootcamp phase took place over a period of 2 weeks from 18th - 30th October, 2021 at the Balme Library in University of Ghana, Legon.
During the bootcamp, our teams were oriented on the first day. They were given the needed resources to build and fine tune their solutions. This included the Waziup dev kit, 3D printers, technical personnel to guide and consult with and a resource person who advised and helped with pitch preparation. On subsequent days, our participants got to work using the provided resources to develop their MVPs. On a lighter note, the teams from outside Ghana had the opportunity to explore some of Ghana's culture through food and recreational activities.
Our participants showcased diverse talents and skills while going through the vigorous activities needed to complete their solutions. Although we experienced some technical difficulties pertaining to low network signals and hardware mishaps, our participants were able to improvise and come up with quick alternatives to make their solutions work. They exhibited great teamwork abilities throughout the period. Participants were lending a helping hand to each other irrespective of the team they were on. It is amazing how much they accomplished within a short period of time. We have no doubt that these caliber of problem solvers will thrive in any given situation. The bootcamp concluded with our teams presenting their respective pitch decks and demonstrating their solutions. These were video recorded and made available to external evaluators who assisted in assessing and ranking them.
Finally, on 3rd November, an awards ceremony was held at which three teams emerged winners. Below are the winning teams with their respective rewards.
Team HAB, (FeedIt) - $5,000
Team Curie-Tech, (Project Curiosity) - $4,000
Team Envirosavers (Oil Detector) - $3,000
In addition, CLOUDPORT is offering each team fully funded cloud subscription for a year. The winners will get the opportunity to showcase their solutions at the continental level under the auspices of the African Union. We wish all the participants the best in the next steps they take on their innovation journeys.
