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GSMA Climate Resilient Fund Offers Grants to African Startups

November 15, 2022

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation has named eight African startups among the recipients of grants from the Fund which aims to accelerate the testing, adoption and scalability of digital innovations that enable the world’s most vulnerable populations to adapt to, anticipate and absorb the negative impacts of climate change.

Launched a year ago, the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation is just the latest initiative run by the GSMA, after other focused offerings in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The aim of the fund is to back solutions that can increase the capacity of low-income and vulnerable communities to adapt to, anticipate or absorb climate-related shocks or stresses. The round was the biggest so far for the GSMA in terms of the number of applications received, with 524 innovations from 70 countries seeking backing. In the end, 11 startups – including eight from Africa – were selected to receive grant funding.

They include three from Nigeria, namely CoAmana, a digital marketplace for farmers to access markets, purchase drought-resistant seeds and access information on best practices and financial services; Crop2Cash, which provides access to agri-insurance and climate smart farming content through a mobile app; and Hello Tractor, which uses weather and historic tractor service demand data to model and optimise tractor service provision.

The other selected African startups are Kenya’s Aquarech, which is enabling market access and creating an inclusive aquaculture value chain through use of mobile technology and IoT sensors; Egypt’s BENAA, which uses IoT to help convert waste water into irrigation water; Ethiopia’s Lersha, a one-stop advisory service for smallholder farmers; Liberia’s J-Palm, which provides access to ecological information for local harvesters; and Tanzania’s Simusolar, which sustains fisheries management through IoT-enabled productivity and activity tracking equipment.

Other startups hail from Pakistan, Nepal, and the Philippines.

Over the course of the grant, the GSMA will support these startups to strengthen climate resilience efforts by helping them scale and realise their full potential. This will be done by facilitating partnerships with mobile operators and public sector organisations; providing technical assistance on how to reach and better serve climate vulnerable communities; providing tools, templates and specialist advisory support on how to evidence socio-economic and climate impact, as well as promote product improvement; and offering opportunities to increase their visibility to potential investors and partners.

“In catalysing these digital solutions, we hope to generate insights from innovative use-cases, partnerships and business models to improve the sustainability and scalability of digital climate resilience solutions,” the GSMA said.

“In doing so, the GSMA seeks to support this cohort of innovators to realise their full potential and help improve the lives of people vulnerable to climate risks.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Rwanda to Host MWC Africa 2021

October 6, 2020

The Global Systems for Mobile Association (GSMA) has announced that it will host MWC Africa in Kigali, Rwanda in 2021 – this comes after MWC 2020 was scrapped in the wake of numerous wireless tech heavyweights deciding to pull out from the conference citing the coronavirus outbreak. MWC21 Africa is expected to bring together the leading names in business and technology from all around the world.

The GSMA Director General Mats Granryd speaking on the development said that “I am proud of what we have built with Thrive and the previous Mobile 360 events, which have helped shape the continent’s connected digital future.”

“From 2021 we will celebrate MWC Africa, joining our world-leading platform for thought-leadership and technology, recognising the important role Africa will play in our connected future.”

“Around the world, access to mobile internet is helping close the digital divide. Its transformative power is nowhere more obvious than in Africa. That is why I’m excited about welcoming the world to Kigali next year to shine a light on African mobile and tech innovation.”

The GSMA has also published its annual Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa report. This in-depth study explores the latest data, forecasts and trends for the region. It includes a range of policy recommendations that will help ensure that mobile internet makes the best possible contribution to the regional economy, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the fastest-growing region, with 477 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2019, with an additional 137 million subscribers over the period to 2025, representing a CAGR of 4.3%. Notably, 272 million are now mobile internet users, representing 26% of the population. In 2019, mobile technologies and services generated 9% of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, a contribution of more than $155 billion.

“The findings from our Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa report clearly show the importance and value of digital connectivity,” says Akinwale Goodluck, Head of Africa at GSMA.

“Realising the full potential of a progressive digital future requires an informed policy debate of the sort that GSMA Thrive Africa will deliver. I look forward to welcoming everyone in person to the inaugural MWC21 Africa, an event which represents the continent’s next step towards closing the digital divide.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

African Startups Can Now Apply For The GSMA Innovation Fund For Mobile Internet Adoption

April 29, 2020

John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA

The GSMA has opened applications for its Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion, which will back startups in Africa and Asia that help to increase mobile internet adoption and usage.

“Today, we understand the value of being connected like never before. “Mobile operators have invested almost US$1 trillion in network infrastructure over the past five years, bringing mobile internet coverage to 91 per cent of the world’s population. Despite this, 3.3 billion people are not using mobile internet services,” said John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA.

Here Is What You Need To Know

It is the latest Innovation Fund run by the GSMA, after other focused offerings in 2019 and 2018, with this year’s edition supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the GSMA and its members.
The objective of the fund — which will offer grants of between GBP100,000 (US$124,000) and GBP250,000 (US$311,000) — is to support solutions that seek to address one or more of the following barriers to mobile internet adoption: accessibility, affordability, digital skills, and safety and security.
It will support startups or small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovative new products, services or business models which can address key barriers to mobile internet adoption and use, driving digital inclusion for those currently digitally excluded, including women.

“Now is the time to find innovative ways to solve this usage gap for the digitally excluded — regardless of who they are or where they are. The Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion will drive partnerships to develop new and innovative ways of increasing use of the mobile internet so that more citizens can fully participate in society and the economy.”

Read also: Invest In Africa Offers Free COVID-19 Support To SMEs In Africa

How To Apply

Applications for the GSMA ’s Innovation Fund are open here until May 22.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.