The 30 semifinalists for the 2023 Savvy Prize for Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs, have emerged. The Prize seeks to recognize and support the efforts of impact-driven entrepreneurs working to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems through innovative and sustainable ways. This year’s Prize comes with a lot of benefits including up to $3,000 in cash prizes, product development support, and marketing endeavors.
Over 3,000 applications were submitted for the 2023 Savvy Prize, and after a rigorous judging process, 30 semifinalists have emerged from 13 countries. These amazing changemakers will have the opportunity to proceed to the next and final round. They include people providing affordable healthcare to low-income households, to those helping farmers and small business owners access working capital.
This final round includes a public voting process and a one-minute pitch video submission of their projects. You can take part in selecting the 3 finalists for the $3,000 Savvy Prize by voting for your favorite semifinalist here. Below is a brief about each semifinalist.
1. Ifenna Obimkpu – Deempay – Nigeria
Deempay is a suite of modern tools to manage and grow your business. With Deempay, you can accept in-store or in-person payments faster using a bank transfer or QR code.
2. Joseph Churchil Nyeko – Eone Stove – Uganda
Eone Stove is an energy-saving combustion device that burns cleaner and is eco-friendly for cooking.
3. Chu Thi Phuong Anh – WeShare – Vietnam
WeShare is a fundraising platform where people can easily and frequently donate by shopping, booking, and through orders, without any extra cost.
4. Nimrah Perveen – KleanArth – Pakistan
Using blockchain and a cloud computing-based system, KleanArth connects waste producers to collectors, as well as waste entrepreneurs—while providing financial incentives for each individual.
5. Kalkidan Tadesse – Happy Pads – Ethiopia
Happy Pads manufactures fully biodegradable, chemical and plastic-free sanitary pads for women. It’s an eco-friendly patented pad that degrades after six months of disposal.
6. Emmanuella Azegba – Enactcare – Nigeria
Enactcare is reducing the high rate of pre-term deaths in Nigeria by providing warmth for premature babies using an innovative, low-cost, and simple-to-use baby warmer.
7. Oluwadamilola Soyombo – Skooqs – Nigeria
Skooqs provides physical and online instructor-led courses for kids on coding, graphic design, UI/UX design, robotics, animation, and game development.
8. Chimfwembe Mutale – Yaaka – Zambia
Yaaka is an incinerator that reduces waste to ashes and then uses the ashes to produce construction materials.
9. Kamasa Dorothy Azimi – CeWaFS – Ghana
CeWaFS helps women in rural, migrant, deprived, and vulnerable communities to become educated, empowered, and engaged in agriculture.
10. Chijioke Ahaneku – Ntapi – Nigeria
Ntapi is an Edtech marketplace that makes education accessible, fun, and affordable for generational learners.
11. Nnamdi Obasi – SAEL – Nigeria
SAEL (Save An Extra Life) is a ride-hailing platform that resuscitates and evacuates individuals with a medical emergency, to a nearby hospital, using an EMT-certified driver.
12. Ifeoma Malo – The Solar Backpack – Nigeria
The Solar Backpack caters to the basic electricity needs of individuals with limited power supply, and to people who need to charge their devices on the go.
13. Emmanuel Twesigye – Everlend – Uganda
Everlend helps supports smallholder farmers and small business owners through access to working capital.
14. Lucky Peter Luggya – Green Schools – Uganda
Green Schools collects plastic bottles from anywhere to construct classroom structures and school administrative blocks, in order to reduce (or even eradicate) plastic pollution in rural Uganda.
15. Chigozirim Israel – Riwe – Nigeria
Riwe empowers farmers to increase their productivity and make data-driven decisions through cutting-edge technology solutions.
16. Uchechi Eziashi – ScholAR – Nigeria
ScholAR explains the most complex topics in science for middle and high school students, using well-researched content that is relevant and current.
17. Millicent Abilla – Pacecode – Kenya
Pacecode facilitates digital business growth for women, through instructor-led live webinars, short videos, and infographics on finance, digital technology, innovation, and business development.
18. John Olowo – Lyfgro – Nigeria
Lyfgro produces Smart Farm Cooler, an affordable storage facility that is locally fabricated and powered by nature, in order to reduce the post-harvest loss for smallholder farmers.
19. James Adebisi – Orius – Nigeria
Orius helps people to speak to a mental health expert from the comfort of their phone, tablet, or personal computer.
20. Prosper Kalu – Automatic Transfer Switch – Nigeria
Automatic Transfer Switch is a device that smartly manages the transfer of power between two and more power sources. It should quickly replace the manual change-over switches currently in use across Africa.
21. Stanley Anigbogu – LightEd – Nigeria
LightEd is a renewable, solar-powered lighting solution made from recycled electronic waste and local materials.
22. Jobert Ngwenya – Fundi Trust – Zimbabwe
Fundi Trust provides experiential teaching of financial literacy and entrepreneurship to high school learners in Zimbabwe.
23. Stephen Olapade – Mybetaride – Nigeria
Mybetaride provides affordable and safe interstate ride-sharing transportation. Users simply enter their current location and the state they want to visit, and a verified driver picks them up.
24. Ole Matlala – Reslocate -South Africa
Reslocate connects property owners with prospective students in South Africa.
25. Mahmoud Hachicha – Karni – Tunisia
Karni provides a Buy Now Pay Later solution to individuals from low-income households, where they can instantly get access to funds to purchase their basic and urgent needs.
26. Kobusingye Mackline – Mother Support Foundation – Uganda
With a mobile clinic, Mother Support Foundation provides accessible, timely, and quality maternal healthcare services to pregnant women in rural Uganda, such as antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services.
27. Daniel Oseni – PeriPES – Nigeria
Made up of clay bricks and sand water, PeriPES is a natural cooling system that preserves and stores tomatoes for up to 3 to 4 months without getting spoilt.
28. Welton Wang – ModerateHateSpeech – United States
ModerateHateSpeech is building safer online communities by conceptualizing and developing accessible solutions to mitigate online harms.
29. Adaorah Momodu – Oncopadi – Niger
Oncopadi helps individuals access cancer care; for treatment or prevention. It also helps organizations deliver quality healthcare to their team through its digital health programs.
30. Faith Adesemowo – Social Lender – Nigeria
Social Lender is a digital financial service solution based on social reputation on mobile, online, offline, and social community platforms.
Good luck to all semifinalists!