Qualcomm's big mentorship program for African startups just wrapped up its third year. A VP from the company, Elizabeth Migwalla, said this year's groups showed great skill at turning tough problems into tech solutions that could actually help the continent's economy and society. Their program, called Make in Africa, picked ten startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia, Benin, and Senegal. These companies are working on stuff like AI drug discovery, virtual rehab, automated fish farming, and flood prediction.
A partner from the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, also talked up the need for wider backing. He said that while they are trying to standardize policies and data rules, real change needs governments, schools, and investors to get behind homegrown innovation. A Kenyan agritech firm named Farmer Lifeline won a special social impact fund for their little solar gadgets that scan crops for disease. Every finalist got some funding and help to protect their ideas.
The company is already taking applications for next year's program, which is totally free and focuses on founders using tech like AI and 5G. Other startups in the mix included companies making electric scooters, smart beehives, and portable liver disease detectors.
A partner from the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, also talked up the need for wider backing. He said that while they are trying to standardize policies and data rules, real change needs governments, schools, and investors to get behind homegrown innovation. A Kenyan agritech firm named Farmer Lifeline won a special social impact fund for their little solar gadgets that scan crops for disease. Every finalist got some funding and help to protect their ideas.
The company is already taking applications for next year's program, which is totally free and focuses on founders using tech like AI and 5G. Other startups in the mix included companies making electric scooters, smart beehives, and portable liver disease detectors.
