MEST Africa has announced a shortlist of 36 qualified technology start-ups from 5 African countries who will be going into the regional pitch competition stage of the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge.
The Next Stage of the Competition
MEST has shared some key updates on the MEST Africa Challenge and the upcoming regional competitions.
The regional competition stage will see the shortlisted start-ups placed into 4 main pitching groups that will participate in virtual pitch competitions scheduled to take place between 10th and 13th October 2022. Each pitch competition will be adjudicated by a panel of expert judges from around the continent.
From the regional pitch stage, 10 finalists will be selected for the next stage, which will consist of individual interviews with the company founders. Following the interview stage, 5 start-ups will be selected, one from each market, to come to Ghana for the Final Pitch Competition and Demo Day.
Speaking on the selection process and changes to the regional competitions, the Director of Portfolio at MEST Africa Melissa Nsiah said:
“MAC has been an absolute thrill and we aren’t even at the finals yet! From planning, to launching the actual competition, combing through 100’s of applications, the entire journey to select our top 36 start-ups to move forward to regional finals has been an exciting learning curve. Moving forward from last year’s fully virtual competition, I am impressed by the planning team’s creative approach in merging both virtual and in person pitch styles to widen our audience and deliver the best overall experience for our partners and contestants alike”.
Meet the MAC Regional Finalists:
| STARTUP | SECTOR | COUNTRY |
| Digistore | Fintech | Ghana |
| Wala Digital Health | Health Tech | Ghana |
| Swoove Inc | Logistics Tech | Ghana |
| AppCycling Ghana LTD | E-Waste Management & Recycling | Ghana |
| Utopia Technologies | Technology | Ghana |
| GAPhealth Technologies Ltd. | Health tech | Ghana |
| Synatech Africa | Software as a Service | Kenya |
| Nutritech Solutions | Health care | Kenya |
| Afriagrimark Enterprise Limited | AgriTech | Kenya |
| MOBI-REMIT SOLUTIONS LIMITED | Financial Technology | Kenya |
| EASYHOUSE AFRICA | Proptech/Fintech/Edtech | Kenya |
| mSwali | Mobile gaming | Kenya |
| Hisa Inc | Fintech | Kenya |
| ZEDA BROTHERS LTD (Parent Company)/ Helene | ERP/Accounting | Nigeria |
| Mytherapist.ng Mental Health Services | Mental Health / Wellness | Nigeria |
| Angel’s Radar | Financial Services | Nigeria |
| Fostaco | Agriculture | Nigeria |
| Bridge Merchant Enterprise | Agritech | Nigeria |
| AWI Agricultural Venture | Agri-Tech | Nigeria |
| Sanwo Technologies Limited | TrustTech | Nigeria |
| ROYALTI DIGITAL MUSIC SOLUTIONS LIMITED | Media & Entertainment | Nigeria |
| Niteon LLC | Marketplace, Procurement, Logistics, web 3.0 | Nigeria |
| MyFoodAngels | AgricTech/FoodTEch | Nigeria |
| Goods and Services 360 Ltd | Clean Cooking | Nigeria |
| Sproutly Inc. | Fintech/ Edtech | Nigeria |
| KaCyber Technologies | ICT (Transport Tech) | Senegal |
| Kweli SAS / Kweli Inc | B2B Marketplace | Senegal |
| INSURIS | INSURTECH | Sénégal |
| Sodishop | E-commerce/ elogistique | Senegal |
| PROXALYS | Retail/Ecommerce | Senegal |
| SENDRA (Sénégalaise de Déconstruction et de Recyclage Automobile) | CleanTech | Senegal |
| Dots for Inc. | Telecommunication and information technology in African rural areas | Senegal |
| Zimi Charge (Pty) Ltd | E-Mobility | South Africa |
| Dove Air Inc | Healthcare | South Africa |
| Thumel Technologies | Logistic | South Africa |
| Desert Green Africa Agri Investments | Agritech | South Africa |
Key benefits of the program:
- Funding of up to $50,000 for the winning start-up
- Perk prizes from MEST’s Strategic Partners
- Global visibility
- Opportunity to build your networks
- Professional coaching
- Mentorship from experts
- Opportunity to join the global MEST Community for lifetime benefits
Learn more and follow the journeys of the selected start-ups here.