This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation Challenge Empowers African Innovators ¶
Published on September 5, 2019, Johnson & Johnson has awarded $300,000 to six African startups through its Champions of Science Africa Innovation Challenge 2.0, supporting innovative solutions to pressing health issues on the continent.
The six winners of the challenge are LifeBank and Crib A Glow from Nigeria, MSCAN and Uganics from Uganda, Hope Initiative from Rwanda, and DREET from Botswana. Each team will receive $50,000 in funding, as well as extensive mentoring and connection network building to support the expansion and sustainability of their companies and programs.
According to Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, Johnson & Johnson, "The innovation ecosystem in Africa is thriving, and the ideas and energy of its entrepreneurs and innovators have the potential to create transformational change for people across the continent and around the world."
The Challenge received nearly 900 submissions from 39 countries, with the winning businesses and programs representing outstanding ingenuity and perseverance, as well as a pathway for scaling operations for long-term sustainability.
Johnson & Johnson will now begin working with each business and program, with progress to be reported at the Next Einstein Forum's global gathering event in 2020.
"The winners of the first Africa Innovation Challenge have made significant advancements with their businesses, including hiring more workers, accelerating production and securing important patents and trademarks," said Seema Kumar, Vice President, Innovation, Global Public Health and Science Policy Communication, Johnson & Johnson. "The new winners are equally impressive and talented, and we are confident that by linking the energy and ingenuity of these winners with the resources available through the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, that they will also make a real and lasting impact in communities across Africa."
Meet the Winners:
- LifeBank (Nigeria) - Addressing the lack of an established blood supply network in Nigeria, LifeBank works to deliver blood to hospitals in less than 45 minutes through a digital platform.
- The Hope Initiative (Rwanda) - Focused on healthcare worker burnout, The Hope Initiative aims to measure hope among nurses and mothers to understand its intersection with healthcare worker burnout and perinatal health outcomes.
- DREET (Botswana) - Developing a mobile phone app to test hearing in children in rural Africa, DREET aims to address the issue of hearing loss in developing countries.
- Crib A'Glow (Nigeria) - Providing a solar-powered, foldable phototherapy crib to hospitals, health centers, and parents, Crib A'Glow aims to address the issue of neonatal jaundice in communities with limited access to quality healthcare and stable electricity.
- Uganics (Uganda) - Manufacturing an organic, affordable soap that repels mosquitoes, Uganics aims to help prevent the spread of malaria in Uganda.
- MSCAN (Uganda) - Developing a portable ultrasound device, MSCAN aims to provide ultrasound services to rural communities, reducing the need for expecting mothers to travel to distant clinics.
