AfricaTech Awards

Challenge 1

Climate Tech Challenge

This Challenge is addressing the following topics:

Cleantech, Energy and Environment:
Innovations that can help reduce the environmental footprint of key industrial processes, including energy generation, or reverse or avoid degradation of the environment.

Mobility and transport:
 Innovations such as zero-emission drivetrains and vehicles or mobility platforms and services that can increase the flexibility and sustainability of transportation.

Food and agriculture:
Innovations that can help farmers, fishers, ranchers as well as their supply companies to provide food or other agricultural products more efficiently and more sustainably. Examples of innovations include renewable energy systems, efficient field machinery, greenhouse technologies, drip irrigation, solar/wind powered water pumping.

Heavy industry:
Technologies in the domain of carbon dioxide capture and storage, alternative chemistries, recycling, hydrogen and biomass.

Built environment:
Technologies in the domain of air purification, electrification, carbon capture, zero-carbon hydrogen, passive solar and radiant heating and circular economy. Material-efficient design, reductions in material waste, replacement of high-carbon materials with low-carbon options.

Climate data collection:
Solutions that can help collect and analyze climate-related data. Examples include: methane leak detection, energy monitoring platform solutions, climate change monitoring platforms, solar irradiance data, and weather predictions for renewables.

This description is not exhaustive and the challenge is open to all Climate Tech solutions.

Sector-specific selection criteria:
Clarity, scope, and relevance of the problem and of the proposed solution.
Impact on climate (quantify whenever possible i.e. GHG emission reduction).

Challenge 2

Health Tech Challenge

This Challenge is addressing the following topics:

Access to care/Healthcare delivery:
Solutions that can improve access to quality healthcare, particularly among underserved communities.

Healthcare digitalization:
Solutions such as telemedicine/online consultations and other digital solutions that promote easy and affordable access to health services. Innovations also include e-learning solutions for clinical and managerial medical personnel.

Healthcare data collection:
Solutions that can help monitor health information and support health diagnostics.

This description is not exhaustive and the challenge is open to all Health Tech solutions.

Sector-specific selection criteria:
Demonstrated ability of the solution to deliver impact to mid- and lower-income patients in emerging markets.
Demonstrated ability to scale commerciality to improve access, affordability, and/or quality of healthcare.

Challenge 3

FinTech Challenge

This Challenge is addressing the following topics:

PayTech/FinTech:
Solutions for optimizing all types of payments.

Robo-Advisors:
Digitized or automated investment advice and portfolio management solutions.

InsurTech:
Digital innovations in the insurance industry.

RegTech:
Innovations designed to simplify the monitoring and management of regulatory compliance.

Neobank:
Digital banks offering innovative and low-cost banking services.

Cash management:
Digital solutions for managing personal expenses or cash flow of a company.

Crowdfunding or Crowdlending:
Participative financing platforms that call upon a large number of people to finance a project.

Online comparison platforms:
Solutions for comparing financial products (bank accounts, credit and investment options, etc.).

This description is not exhaustive and the challenge is open to all FinTech solutions.

Sector-specific selection criteria:
Financial inclusion.
Maturity of the technology.
Access to market.