MEST - Afrikan Heroes

Ghanaian Startups Secure Grant Funding After MEST Express Accelerator

May 2, 2021

The MEST and the Mastercard Foundation will provide equity-free grant funding and support to three Ghanaian startups after being named top performers from the beta 2020 cohort of the MEST Express accelerator programme. The MEST Express is one of three new programmes, alongside Pre-MEST and MEST Scale, that MEST is currently running in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation through Young Africa Works, a 10-year strategy of the foundation to enable three million young people in Ghana to access dignified and fulfilling work.

Felix Darko, MEST Express programme manager

The programme aims to equip early-stage ventures with the skills and resources they require to accelerate their growth. The 2021 cohort is currently underway, and MEST announced the winners of last year’s beta cohort at a finals event held at its incubator space in Accra and broadcast virtually.

First place was awarded to Bosea, a mobile technology and data science company that provides mobile loans in Ghana. Bosea will receive US$10,000 in grant funding towards the development of its Credify product, a lending-as-service platform that enables micro-credit and microfinance firms to fully digitise their operations.

“When we launched the MEST Express programme last year, we knew there was a need for an accelerator that was specifically designed to address the critical needs of startups in Ghana due to the effects of the pandemic. Seeing these companies’ growth over the past several months reinforces the fact that we are on the right track. I am very proud of the cohort and the grant winners. Bosea is a shining example that hard work, perseverance, and a clear vision can see you through the toughest times and even leave you stronger for it,” said Felix Darko, MEST Express programme manager.

Second and third placed Wegoo, a platform that supports small businesses with affordable and reliable on-demand delivery services, and Motito, which helps users pay for essential items over time, will receive US$6,000 and US$4,000 respectively to support their operations. The funding will also provide essential resources needed to improve the resilience of these startups.

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

New European-African Innovation Hub to Focus on Smart Logistics

March 6, 2021

The European Commission has granted EU1.9 million (US$2.3 million) to DIGILOGIC, a new project that sees European and African innovation hubs collaborate to enable innovators, startups and SMEs to jointly develop smart logistics solutions in close cooperation with industries and investors.

Prasanth Kumar, director of consultancy at MEST

DIDGILOGIC project which will run for three years aims to boost cooperation and long-term, sustainable partnerships between European and African digital innovation hubs to encourage innovation in the logistics space. It is deployed by a consortium comprising three hubs in Europe – Digital Hub Logistics Dortmund (Germany), VTT (Finland) and Friuli Innovazione (Italy) – and two in Africa – MEST (Ghana) and BongoHive (Zambia). It also includes system change facilitator Endeva (Germany) and SME Prototipi (Nigeria).

These partners will foster the adoption of emerging technologies such as Cloud Computing, Big Data, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart Devices, Internet of Things (IoT) and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for smart logistics solutions, through the deployment of a dynamic and impactful knowledge transfer process and a targeted implementation programme across Europe and Africa.

DIGILOGIC partners see the horizontally connecting logistics industry at the converging point of interest and priorities for digital innovation for social and business development; a crucial node for Europe’s and Africa’s sustainable prosperity. Applying ICT and other digital technologies to logistics will have a knock-on effect, also benefiting other industries.

Digital innovation hubs are the organisations that DIGILOGIC will use to foster the adoption of emerging technologies for innovative solutions, products and services. DIGILOGIC will act as an ecosystem of ecosystems, mapping the existing players, leveraging on hubs’ competencies and networks to analyse the levers of change which should be addressed to exploit innovation, facilitate collaboration and ultimately create market and uptake opportunities for innovators, SMEs and startups in smart logistics from both continents.

“With a goal of equipping the continent’s most promising tech entrepreneurs with the skills required to launch and scale globally successful software companies in the past decade, MEST is extremely proud to associate in the DIGILOGIC project along with our partners,” said Prasanth Kumar, director of consultancy at MEST.

“MEST is also proud to lead the ecosystem engagement activities and to execute inclusive digital and entrepreneurship capacity building programs for unemployed youth and vulnerable groups.”

DIGILOGIC is working on smart logistics technology radar, including the latest technical developments and industry needs, with a deep dive into specific European and African challenges and available solutions, to guide a mentoring and go-to-market learning programme.

In June 2021, the project will also launch an interactive e-learning platform with on-demand and live business, design thinking and smart logistics ICT modules. The platform will be free of charge and accessible at any time with on-demand and live webinars, documentation, dedicated thematic courses, exercises and assignments to enable learners to follow their learning path as per their needs, motivation and time availability.