Startup Funding Opportunities // Apply to These 8 Programs

In this article, we’re sharing 8 startup funding opportunities that you can apply to in the upcoming month.

Whether you are a Financial Services, Healthcare, Agriculture, Energy/utility, Education startup there are several startup funds opportunities focusing on startups in East Africa.

We’re sharing 8 startup funding opportunities – innovation challenges/ programs – that are currently active and are accepting applications in September 2021 that you would want to consider.

Kenya Healthcare Innovation Program

The Kenya Healthcare Innovation Program is a joint program between Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), Villgro Africa, ICChange, and Kijenzi.

In line with KeNIA’s directive to accelerate disruptive innovation towards Kenya 2.0, these organizations are delighted to partner in a search for healthcare entrepreneurs with ideas, devices, technologies, or software that have the potential to ensure affordable healthcare to all Kenyans. The program will culminate in a business pitching contest and award ceremony during Kenya Innovation Week in December 2021.

As part of the initiative, an innovation boot camp will provide selected entrepreneurs with business skills to support commercially viable products and services, and strengthen the capacity of Kenyan innovators with regards to scaling their enterprise and impact. Financial awards of up to $5K USD, including incubation support, will be presented to the top 3 finalists during the Kenya Innovation Week Start-up pitching event.

Apply before September 15th here.

WBG-CES Global Women’s HealthTech Awards

Through a joint global program, the World Bank Group and CES, owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), aim to identify and celebrate innovative technologies that can address gaps in women’s health care and safety in emerging markets.

The Global Women’s HealthTech Awards will focus on innovative technologies deployed in emerging markets in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, and North Africa, and Eastern Europe, in three key segments:

• Reproductive health and pregnancy;
• General women’s and adolescent health;
• Women’s safety and security.

Sounds interesting? Apply before September 26^th

The Global Startup Awards (GSA Awards)

The Global Startup Awards is the largest independent startup ecosystem competition with the mission to find, recognize and connect the future-shapers of the digital age from all around the world. The Global Startup Awards (GSA) started in 2012 as a global movement and now operates in 113 countries and 3 continents. In 2021, we have launched GSA Africa to include all 5 regions in Africa.

For the first time ever, innovators from all 55 African countries have the chance to showcase their solutions and participate in the movement. The awards aim at connecting the best of African tech startups to a global network of leading investors and innovation ecosystems.

Apply here before 30^th September

Wazo Challenge East Africa

Wazo Challenge East Africa is aimed at young entrepreneurs in the 18 – 30 age group, who are residents of countries from the UN-designated Eastern Africa region. We are looking for entrepreneurs who have an idea to solve a local business / social problem, by leveraging technology.

The challenge is looking for enterprising youth (as individuals or teams) to use technology (Software / Hardware / Software+Hardware), and solve for one of the following Financial Services,  Healthcare,  Agriculture,  Energy/utility or Education

Takeaways from the challenge

• Venture Bootcamp: 10 high-potential founders will be selected for a 4-week venture building mentorship and leadership development Bootcamp, that will be delivered by successful founders, industry leaders, domain experts and investors from Hindsight Ventures’s global network. The Venture Bootcamp will help establish/reiterate basic venture development processes, enable industry connections, international networks, peer community, and more. During the course of the Bootcamp, each selected startup will get access to $150,000 worth of technology credits that will help the selected Founders to build fast, and at scale.
• International demo day: The Venture Bootcamp will culminate with an international demo day, wherein the cohort will pitch to an audience comprising investors and corporates. Prior to the demo day, the cohort will be ably coached by pitch coaches, to ensure that each pitch is succinct and conveys a compelling story.
• Cash prizes: There’s USD 10,000 grant money at stake, and the cohort will be pitching for the same.

Apply here by 16^th September

ICT 4 Inclusion Challenge

Are you developing a digital device or an application that facilitates disability-inclusive education? Are you working on accessibility solutions for online learning environments?

Do you have a brilliant idea on how innovative technology can improve or enable access to education for people with disabilities in Africa? If the answer is yes, then you are exactly the person for this challenge looking for!

The Call for Applications is open until 15 September 2021. Apply now!

The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator

The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator supports digital commerce companies that are building solutions designed to improve the livelihoods and financial resilience of micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

Companies selected for the Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator are identified via quantitative and qualitative sourcing research, to determine existing ecosystem gaps and challenges faced by SMEs. Companies are then vetted by an Investment Advisory Committee composed of experienced emerging markets investors and experts in the digital commerce space in the Ghanaian and wider African market.

The application deadline is on 31^st March 2021. Get more details here

Funding Opportunities // 7 Amazing Innovation Challenges

Ocean Innovation Prize

The Blue Climate Initiative (BCI) is welcoming applications from innovators and entrepreneurs for the global US$1 Million Ocean Innovation Prize. The Prize is designed to inspire, fund, and support innovations that mitigate climate change through ocean-related strategies. The deadline for applications is September 15, 2021.

The Prize is presented by BCI as part of an endorsed program of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and is designed to advance the goals of the Ocean Decade and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Prize is presented in collaboration with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

Get more details about the prize here and apply before 15^th September

Ecobank Fintech Challenge

The Ecobank Fintech Challenge identifies and partners Fintechs that are ready to scale and provides them with support and access to opportunities in Ecobank’s 33 African markets. The goal? To contribute to their growth as potential Pan African Fintech success stories.

The Challenge is open to all Fintechs on the African continent. Interested Fintechs can apply by sending details of their product as well as a demo here. These products must address one or more of a specific set of pain points which can be found here.

The selected finalists participate in the Ecobank Fintech Innovation Fair, with the top 3 finalists winning cash prizes. All finalists are inducted into the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship, which affords them the opportunity to explore deals, integration, and commercial partnership with the Ecobank Group.

Sounds interesting? Apply here before 15^th Sept.