Qualcomm on Tuesday announced the successful completion of the second year of its Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program, culminating in the Make in Africa Finale 2024.
In a statement, Qualcomm said this platform continues to showcase the energy and innovation emerging from the African technology scene, demonstrating its commitment to supporting startups as part of the broader Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform.
Now in its second year, the program has successfully guided early-stage technology startups by providing mentorship, business coaching, engineering consultation, and IP protection advice.
This year’s Make in Africa finalists, from six African nations, were tackling real-world challenges across healthcare, agriculture, cutting-edge AI and industrial sectors.
The 2024 startups cohort included:
- – Aurora Health Systems from Kenya which provides AI-based cardiovascular healthcare tools
- – CropScan from Kenya which uses solar-powered smart farming IoT devices
- – Cure Bionics from Tunisia which makes smart 3D printed prosthetic devices
- – DevisionX from Egypt which provides AI-based low-code computer vision tools
- – Kalio from Cameroon which is building AI tools for Agricultural IoT
- – Kitovu from Nigeria which provides tools and software for smart agricultural warehouse management
- – NextAI Studios from Kenya which builds AI-based emotion detection into toys for children’s mental healthcare
- – RIM Nextgen from Kenya which uses smart tools for monitoring propane consumption
- – Sparcx from South Africa which uses AI for enhancing radar signal processing
- – ViZmerald from Tunisia which is working on AI-based textile industry inspection
Qualcomm further announced Aurora Health Systems from Kenya as the winner of the 2024 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund.
This fund, provided by Qualcomm through its Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ Initiative, aims to support startups in scaling their societal and market impact.
Qualcomm noted that Aurora Health Systems was selected for its innovative wireless, portable ECG device with LTE connectivity.
This device, the company added, assists patients with cardiovascular disease by enabling remote data transmission of ECG data to healthcare providers, even in rural areas.
“They are the first in East Africa to train ECG AI models on locally sourced data, resulting in more accurate algorithms and improved AI-powered diagnostics,” Qualcomm continued.
Additionally, the company noted that all finalists will receive stipends to further fuel their growth and help protect their intellectual property.
Building on the success of previous years, Qualcomm has also launched the Make in Africa 2025 program with applications now open for startups to apply.
“The Make in Africa startups are disrupting traditional industries and tackling socio-economic challenges, crafting innovative solutions with global market reach by using AI, advanced connectivity, and IoT,” Wassim Chourbaji, SVP & President, Qualcomm MEA & SVP, Government Affairs EMEA said.
“This startup mentorship program reflects Qualcomm’s commitment to supporting promising early-stage deep tech startups, empowering local talents, creating jobs and driving economic growth.”
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