Denis Opudo
Merck Accelerator’s satellite program in Lagos in collaboration with Lagos based MEST Incubator is giving West African startups a chance to collaborate and co-create with Merck. Merck funds startups in different fields that include healthcare, performance materials, and life sciences among others. Here are various funding fields.
Precision Farming
The program aims at coming up with a combination of materials, analytics, and services that will assist in coming up with a new mode of farming. This is a farming method that no longer relies on the fresh application of agrochemicals to fields to feed a growing worldwide population more ethically and sustainably.
Interfaces and Biosensing
Satellite program by Merck Accelerator is aiming at offering insights and developing new kind of businesses around biology and technology integration. This will allow them to come up with groundbreaking medical treatment solutions. These are solutions that are based on a unique mix of curation expertise, machine learning, and sensor data retrieval.
Healthcare Access Solutions
The program was created from Merck innovation urge for people who are healthy globally. It is currently at piloting stage setting up five Points of care facilities in Kenya, and they are of high standards of quality. The platform will offer the Dx/OTC type of medication and enhanced nurse services using digital and mobile health solutions. The program is sourcing for ambitious and innovative startups that have a sustainable business model idea to help it augment the digital access solution services. The startups should fall under the following categories faster and affordable diagnosis, community self-service enablement, healthcare connected logistics, financing therapies, and delivery of healthcare.
I know you have started questioning yourself on what are startup qualifications for this program. Here are the answers to the questions. The startup must be:
- The one that has not less than two founders
- In the field of Performance Materials, Life sciences, Healthcare and other such fields as precision farming and Bio-sensing & Interfaces.
The winners will get cash prize of $3,000 and a 12 months membership to Seedspace community in Lagos. Besides that, they will have a fully catered for a trip to the HQs of Merck Innovation Center to showcase for a partnership project with Merck. Winners will have an opportunity to access the Merck Innovator Academy TrainToInnovate that will help them develop their innovative skills and share out their experience. The main advantage is that the program offers startups a chance to link with a vibrant group of innovators and founders in their respective regions passing through the same challenges as they exchange ideas and come up with long-term collections. Interested startups from West Africa can forward their application as from 17th June to 20th August 2018. This is a great opportunity for those who have been sourcing for partnership at no vain.
