Twenty-two Ghanaian startups have been chosen for the UNICEF StartUp Lab’s second cohort, a co-creation space and incubator that helps startups create innovative, open-source, market-driven products and solutions to complex problems affecting children and young people, especially the most vulnerable.
Over 200 people applied from all over Ghana for the six-month business and product creation program, which will provide participants with access to UNICEF’s extensive network of technical experts to help them expand their social impact and improve their products.
The UNICEF StartUp Lab, a co-creation space and accelerator that engages young entrepreneurs in the development of creative, open-source, market-driven products and solutions that address complex problems affecting the well-being of children and young people, especially the most vulnerable, has announced the launch of the 2021 cohort.
Over 200 applications were received from across Ghana, and twenty-two aspiring social impact startups were chosen to take part in a six-month business and product creation program.
UNICEF Deputy Representative Fiachra McAsey said, “UNICEF is excited to welcome this new cohort of 22 startups from across Ghana to the UNICEF StartUp Lab for 2021.” “Each of the startups is already promoting impactful products and services that, if scaled up, can have a positive impact on children, young people, and communities.” The UNICEF team will be working closely with this group of companies over the coming months, and we agree that with the right help, some of the ideas being developed by these companies could have a global impact.
Participants will have access to UNICEF’s extensive network of technical experts to assist them in expanding their social impact and improving their goods, some of which address the most difficult development challenges. Each startup will also receive group and individual mentoring, as well as capacity building sessions, to help them scale and expand their company to compete on a global scale.
MEST Africa, the program’s main implementation partner, will oversee training and instruction, with help from additional technology hubs and an international team of experts with extensive experience working in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and developing impact-driven businesses across Africa.
The startups will also benefit from additional development opportunities through UNICEF’s global innovation and entrepreneurship support mechanisms, such as the UNICEF Venture Fund, and participation in projects like the Digital Public Goods Alliance, over the course of the 6-month program.
The UNICEF StartUp Lab’s 2021 cohort will include the following startups.
AFRICA GOODNEST: e-commerce platform to discover and buy quality products crafted by local African talent and entrepreneurs.
APPCYCLERS: waste management company providing e-waste education, collection, recycling, and upcycling solutions.
ASA NWURA: waste management company promoting digitization of a circular economy of municipal solid waste, using an incentive-based approach.
BACE TECHNOLOGIES: digital identity software company enabling businesses to optimize their identity management platforms and KYC process using technologies such as facial recognition and AI.
BISA: healthcare platform providing access to medical advice and healthcare information to the general public through mobile devices.
COLIBA: waste management company leveraging mobile and SMS technology to make recycling services accessible to all.
DEXT: technology-driven educational company developing, manufacturing and deploying solutions for the effective learning of STEM, including the award-winning ‘Science Set’.
DIGITAL HEALTH ACCESS: health education and consultation platform connecting users to a network of health professionals, service providers and impact-driven healthcare interventions.
ECAMPUS: SaaS education technology solution using AI to connect teachers and students, and to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses.
GEOHEBETH LINES: social enterprise using social entrepreneurship, advocacy and local resources to create environmentally sustainable livelihood for the rural youth.
LEAP: healthcare e-learning platform providing certified educational programs from globally recognized universities and institutions to hundreds of students looking for highly demanded job-ready skills.
MASSIRA: female centered support community providing sexual, reproductive and mental health services, committed to connecting, educating and empowering women.
MOCHCARE: health tech startup working on digitizing the maternal & child health record book.
NAA SIKA: electronic micro bank and savings platform that helps users save any amount for their future, built using intuitive tech.
PREMIER WASTE SERVICES: waste management company providing low-cost plastic waste collection, recycling and recovery infrastructure.
SCRIBBLE WORKS: educational publishing house developing tech-enabled solutions for schools, including tools based on Google Forms.
SNOOCODE: geolocalization company with its own digital addressing system allowing the receiver to navigate to an exact location using any standard map on their mobile phone.
TALENTS IN AFRICA: edu-tech company with a platform using test tools to help youth assess their skill levels, provide resources to up-skill for roles they seek and then match them to job opportunities.
TRIMESTER SAVE: financial inclusion company developing tech-enabled hybrid health & finance solution focused on women in the reproductive ages, to empower all mothers.
TROTRO DIARIES: community platform of commuters and travelers sharing their daily commuting or traveling experiences, also used to disseminate public service information and messaging.
WINGS TO FLY: rural poverty alleviation company utilizing local raw materials and agricultural waste to produce standard soaps and household chemicals, employing marginalised rural women.
WIREDTUTOR: edu-tech company developing a platform that connects students, tutors and institutions for the purpose of learning through the web and a mobile application.
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