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The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, run by the Royal Academy of Engineering, today announced its 2020 shortlist, recognising ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges.

This year’s shortlist includes the creators of a smart library on wheels, facial recognition software to prevent financial fraud, a low-cost digital microscope to speed up cervical cancer diagnosis, bamboo bicycles made from recycled parts, and two innovations made from invasive water hyacinth plants: an animal feed and a cooking fuel.

The 2020 shortlist represents six countries, including, for the first time, Malawi. Six of the shortlist are female innovators.

Launched in 2014 by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the annual Africa Prize awards crucial commercialisation support to innovators who are transforming their local communities across Africa. The Prize has a track record of identifying engineering entrepreneurs with significant potential, endorsing those who, with the support of the Prize, have gone on to achieve greater commercial success and social impact.

Interactive map of the Africa Prize

Alumni of the Prize are projected to impact over three million lives in the next five years, and have already created over 1,500 jobs and raised more than $14 million in grants and equity.

A unique package of support will be provided to the shortlisted entrepreneurs over the next eight months to help them accelerate their businesses. The benefits of selection include comprehensive and tailored business training, bespoke mentoring, funding and access to the Academy’s network of high profile, experienced engineers and business experts in the UK and across Africa.

Following this period of support, four finalists are selected and invited to pitch their improved innovation and business plan to the judges and a live audience. A winner is selected to receive £25,000, and three runners up receive £10,000.

“For six years we have been humbled to work with African entrepreneurs who use engineering to shift how we think about problems, developing disruptive technologies for everything from energy and agriculture to housing, transport and finance,” said Rebecca Enonchong, Africa Prize judge and Cameroonian entrepreneur. “These are the local entrepreneurs who are transforming Africa, and we are once again honoured to guide and learn from the brightest minds chosen for the Africa Prize shortlist.”

The Prize supports innovators who are developing life-changing technologies that may otherwise have gone unrecognised and under-resourced. Unlike conventional grants or accelerators, the Prize does not dictate the types of innovation that are eligible. Instead, it provides tailored support to entrepreneurs seeking to address challenges identified in their own communities. The Prize alumni include technologies tackling issues as diverse as access to clean water, safe transport, personal finance and the healthcare system.

Meredith Ettridge, Head of Sustainable Development at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Nurturing thriving commercial companies has a significant role in enabling sustainable development, supporting entrepreneurs to deliver greater job creation, prospects and prosperity in their communities and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is these benefits, on a local, national and continent-wide level in Africa, that the Prize aims to accelerate.”

In addition to the Africa Prize, the Academy also runs other innovation programmes in Africa. This include the Africa Innovation Fellowship in partnership with WomEng, which increases female participation in engineering innovation and entrepreneurship across the continent, and the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) programme, which supports innovators in 16 countries including Egypt, Kenya and South Africa.

The Academy is also building capacity across the entire innovation ecosystem in Africa through initiatives such as the GCRF Africa Catalyst and Higher Education Partnerships programmes, which through working with professional bodies and universities, help to raise standards, improve skills, create jobs and support the development of new solutions.

The shortlisted technologies and candidates are:

  • Aquaprotein, Jack Oyugi from Kenya – an affordable protein supplement for animal feed, made from invasive water hyacinth
  • BACE API, Charlette N’Guessan from Ghana – a system that uses live facial recognition technology to verify identities and prevent financial and online identity fraud
  • CATHEL, Catherine Tasankha Chaima from Malawi – an affordable antibacterial soap made from agricultural waste and other plant-based extracts
  • CIST Ethanol Fuel, Richard Arwa from Kenya – a clean cooking ethanol made from invasive water hyacinth
  • DryMac, Adrian Padt from South Africa – a containerised drying system that uses burning biomass instead of electricity to dry and preserve crops
  • Eco Water Purifier, Timothy Kayondo from Uganda – a digital system that turns bones, cassava peelings, coconut shells and other waste into an activated carbon water filter
  • EcoRide, Bernice Dapaah from Ghana – bamboo bicycles made by Ghanaian women and youth from sustainable materials and recycled parts
  • Farmz2U, Aisha Raheem from Nigeria – tech solutions that help farmers and families prevent food waste and enhance nutrition
  • Garbage In Value Out (GIVO), Victor Boyle-Komolafe from Nigeria – automates and digitises the collection, processing and sale of recyclable materials
  • GrainMate, Isaac Sesi from Ghana – a simple handheld meter to accurately measure the moisture content of grains to prevent rotting, insect infestation and quality reduction
  • Lab and Library on Wheels, Josephine Godwyll from Ghana – a mobile, solar-hybrid cart with gadgets and e-learning resources to encourage reading and teach STEAM subjects in under-resourced schools
  • PapsAI, Dr William Wasswa from Uganda – a low-cost digital microscope slide scanner and platform that diagnoses and manages cervical cancer in resource-constrained areas
  • Remot, David Tusubira from Uganda – a digital platform that connects to off-grid solar systems to allow users to manage and pay for them remotely
  • Safi Organics, Samuel Rigu from Kenya – a novel process that turns crop waste into a range of affordable organic fertilisers
  • Tree_Sea.mals Mini-Grid, Tracy Kimathi from Kenya – a solar system that powers communal refrigeration storage spaces in rural Kenya

Note to editors 

A full set of photographs can be found here.

1. About the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation. It awards crucial commercialisation support to ambitious African innovators developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges, demonstrating the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development.

An eight-month period of tailored training and mentoring culminates in a showcase event where a winner is selected to receive £25,000 along with three runners-up, who are each awarded £10,000.

The Africa Prize is generously supported by The Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund and the UK Government's Global Challenges Research Fund. Further information can be found here: https://www.shellcentenaryscholarshipfund.org/

https://www.ukri.org/research/global-challenges-research-fund/ 

Judges and mentors of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have provided over 1,970 hours of support to entrepreneurs since the prize was established – this equates to a value of roughly £985,000 in support. This year, they are:

  • Chair of judges: Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng, President of the Energy Institute, Chair of EngineeringUK
  • Dr Ibilola Amao, Founder and Principal Consultant, Lonadek Consulting
  • Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and CEO, AppsTech
  • Mariéme Jamme, co-founder of Africa Gathering and founder of #iamtheCODE and SpotOne Global Solutions
  • Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, angel investor and technology start-up mentor

More information can be found here: www.raeng.org.uk/africaprize

2. About the Royal Academy of Engineering

As the UK’s national academy for engineering and technology, we bring together the most successful and talented engineers from academia and business – our Fellows – to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society.

We harness their experience and expertise to provide independent advice to government, to deliver programmes that help exceptional engineering researchers and innovators realise their potential, to engage the public with engineering and to provide leadership for the profession.

We have three strategic priorities:

  • Make the UK the leading nation for engineering innovation and businesses
  • Address the engineering skills and diversity challenge
  • Position engineering at the heart of society

We bring together engineers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics, educators and the public in pursuit of these goals.

Engineering is a global profession, so we work with partners across the world to advance engineering’s contribution to society on an international, as well as a national scale.

For media queries and interview requests, please contact:

Africa

Anzet du Plessis, Proof Africa on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering

UK and International

Alex Stephenson, AprilSix Proof on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering