Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [28/04/2020]

Grand Challenges Canada has included five African innovations among its 20 innovations which it will fund and support for 2020 that focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.

This, as Nigerian startup Chekkit, which usually develops anti-counterfeiting solutions that track and authenticate products from the producer to the consumer, last week launched a USSD Help & Information Centre.

With the coronavirus (Covid-19) headlining news all over the world, Ventureburn has launched a regular daily roundup on the virus and how it is affecting Africa’s tech startup sector.

Grand Challenges Canada will back five African innovations in 2020 that focus on the Covid-19 pandemic

Those with any news releases relating to Covid-19 and Africa’s tech startup sector can send these to editor@memeburn.com.

Here then is the latest on the coronavirus and African tech startups:

Canadian challenge honours Africans: Grand Challenges Canada has included five African innovations among its 20 innovations which it will fund and support for 2020 that focus on the Covid-19 pandemic. The challenge is funded by the Government of Canada and other partners. The projects from Africa include: South Africa’s Praekelt.org, Healthy Entrepreneurs Canada, Zimbabwe’s Friendship Bench and Kenya’s Hewa Tele Limited and North Star Alliance. See more details of each project here.

AfricaVsVirus solutions shortlisted: Over 25 000 innovators from 54 African countries came together in the  #AfricaVsVirus Challenge. The 72-hour challenge, which kicked off on 17 April, was a global hackathon – or “ideathon” – to develop effective solutions to the coronavirus pandemic. Over 3000 ideas were submitted in the days prior to the event, covering a broad range of topics. The ideathon resulted in 750 solutions, which are currently under evaluation. A Jury Panel composed of sectoral experts is selecting the best solutions, which will be fully implemented with partners and donors in Africa and worldwide.

Startup launches USSD help service: Nigerian startup Chekkit, which usually develops anti-counterfeiting solutions that track and authenticate products from the producer to the consumer, last week launched a USSD Help & Information Centre. The service provides the general public with quick access to help and verified information. Stakeholders like the Africa CDC and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control will have access to a dashboard with data and insights, allowing them to engage with the public as well as scale up testing. The startup — which was founded in 2018 by Oluwatosin Adelowo, Dare Odumade and Adebola Oyenuga (pictured above, left to right) — is one of eight companies being assisted by CcHub to implement Covid-19 projects (see this article).

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [27/04/2020]

Featured image (left to right): Chekkit COO Oluwatosin Adelowo CEO Dare Odumade, and CTO Adebola Oyenuga (Supplied)