All you need to know about Merck Accelerator’s Cape Town programme

Southern African startups involved in innovation around healthcare, life sciences, or performance materials have less than a month to apply for Germany-based Merck Accelerator‘s Cape Town satellite programme. Applications close 20 July.

The satellite programme, which is being run in collaboration with MEST Incubator in Cape Town, will provide each selected startup with: a $3000 cash prize, up to 12 months membership at MEST’s incubator, and an opportunity to travel to the Merck Innovation Centre in Darmstadt, Germany to pitch for a collaboration project with Merck.

Applications for Merck Accelerator’s Cape Town programme close on 20 July

In addition, selected startups will also receive access to the Merck Innovator Academy TrainToInnovate innovation platform where founders can develop skills and share experiences.

The Cape Town satellite programme, which is aimed at early-stage statups with at least two founders, will focus on the following focus areas:

• Healthcare access solutions that include delivery of healthcare, financing therapies, healthcare connected logistics, community self-service enablement, as well as affordable and faster diagnosis
• Biosensing and interfaces, or more specifically the integration of electronics and biology that will enable Merck to develop innovative medical treatment solutions based on a mix of sensor data retrieval, machine learning, and curation expertise
• Materials, analytics and services that will enable precision farming

Earlier this month, Kenyan healthtech startup Tambua Intelligent Diagnostics was selected as the winner of Merck Accelerator’s Nairobi satellite programme.

The accelerator also has a West African programme which will see it hold a pitch event in collaboration with Seedspace Lagos in September.

Read more: Merck launches Satellite Programme for African startups in pharma, life sciences

Featured image: Merck via Twitter