Grace Ashiru
Five African startups have won cash prizes in the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Africa and the Middle East. The OSVP was started in 2011 to recognize the best tech startup projects that help people or the environment in their region or align with sustainable development goals.
- The digital health platform LifeBlood won the International Grand Prix from Sierra Leone. This platform was made to help the country’s healthcare system deal with a severe lack of blood products.
- Biomass4GLC, a startup based in Mali that produces and distributes biogas suitable for cooking in Mali by renting out connected systems, was awarded the second place position and the cash prize of $15,000. Biomass4GLC came in second place. However, the third-place prize of $10,000 went to the Tunisian startup, Kamioun, an e-commerce platform that provides goods to convenience stores throughout the country.
- The DRC company Abana, a marketplace where designers can sell their clothes to shoppers, won the $10,000 Judges’ Choice prize. The Jordanian company iRole! won the $20,000 International Women’s Prize.
Nearly 1,400 applications came in from 17 countries, and the winners were announced at the Mobile World Congress Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.
