Innovation challenge: Johnson & Johnson opens entries

Healthcare brand, Johnson & Johnson has recently opened up entries to their new Africa Innovation Challenge.

The challenge will aim to support and develop the continent’s entrepreneurs as well as continue to develop consumer health solutions. It will also serve as the company’s latest approach to advancing healthcare and global innovation.

“Through the Africa Innovation Challenge, we have the opportunity to support the continent’s top entrepreneurs through mentorship and other resources, and by working together with local talent, to bring forward new solutions to local healthcare challenges,” said MD of Johnson & Johnson, Paul Stoffels in a press release to Ventureburn.

“With its focus on consumer healthcare, the Africa Innovation Challenge will help to surface important issues impacting local communities,” said CTO of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc, Josh Ghaim.

“We look forward to engaging with the continent’s top entrepreneurs and scientists, and through collaboration, helping advance their ideas and bringing meaningful solutions across three very important health care areas,” continued Ghaim.

The areas the challenge wishes to address are: promotion of early child development and mental health, the empowerment of women and improving family well-being.

Johnson & Johnson’s will announce the Africa Innovation Challenge winner(s) in February 2017

Participants with the most innovative solutions could receive up to US$100 000 in funding. They could also receive mentorship from the company’s scientists, engineers and researchers. The winner(s) would also be eligible for a dedicated space at a lab facility in Africa throughout their product development phase, dependent on the needs of the solution or product.

To be eligible to apply, entrants from all over Africa need to meet the following criteria:

• Your solution needs to address at least one of the three challenges
• The submission needs to be innovative and creative
• The entrant needs to outline a commercialisation plan and how the award would benefit the applicant reach a critical milestone in a single year.

The challenge allows for one or more individual, teams or companies to apply as long as they fall within the challenge’s terms and conditions.

“The Africa Innovation Challenge is an exciting initiative for our entrepreneurial and scientific communities,” said Thomas Maina Kariuki from the African Academy of Sciences.

“The challenge provides the kind of mentorship and resources that can really advance an entrepreneur’s vision, and it showcases the terrific young talent across Africa. AAS is proud to support this initiative and we look forward to collaborating throughout the challenge,” he concluded.

Featured image: Boegh via Flickr