Kingston, Ontario, Canada – The Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre at Queen’s University (DDQIC) is proud to announce the remarkable achievements of the finalists in the 2024 DDQIC African Initiatives Pitch Competition. Held virtually and across 14 ‘watch party’ locations, this event brought together aspiring entrepreneurs from across Africa to showcase their innovative solutions to pressing local and global challenges.
The DDQIC African Initiatives Pitch Competition marks the culmination of the 2024 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship. Over eight months, emerging entrepreneurs received rigorous training and mentorship from a dedicated team of program coaches as they advanced through the three phases of the program. In the final launch phase, the top 15 finalists, selected for their creativity and dedication, competed for a pool prize of $20,000 CAD in seed funding.
The 2024 DDQIC African Initiatives Pitch Competition took place on August 22nd, 2024. The event featured watch parties at various locations, including Kingston, Canada; Lagos, Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Kigali, Rwanda; Kampala and Mbarara, Uganda; Gaborone, Botswana; Abuja and Borno, Nigeria; Cape Town, South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Accra and Kumasi, Ghana.
The DDQIC African Initiatives address critical challenges faced by communities in Africa and around the world, fostering innovative, sustainable, and impactful solutions. By empowering young entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality, the program helps tackle issues such as environmental sustainability, food security, economic development, and healthcare access.
DDQIC’s Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship was established to empower African students and recent graduates with entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and resources. This year, more than 1,200 fellows joined the program’s Explore phase. After a rigorous selection process, approximately 200 advanced to the Ignite phase, and 85 reached the third and final Launch phase of the program. These entrepreneurs underwent intensive training in customer validation, business model development, and pitch preparation. The top 15 fellows competed in the final pitch competition, showcasing their innovative solutions and vying for seed funding to scale their ventures.
The competition not only provides essential financial support to promising startups but also nurtures a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. By investing in young innovators, DDQIC and its partners aim to drive sustainable development and create a lasting impact.
Results of the Competition:
- Twende Green Ecocycle – Lawrence Kosgei: This social enterprise recycles marine plastic waste from informal settlements in Mombasa into school eco-desks, using innovative recycling technology to create durable, high-quality school furniture.
- Kalkap Honey Enterprise – Kalangwe Kapaipai: Focused on sustainable beekeeping and honey production, this venture promotes environmental conservation and creates economic opportunities for local communities.
- Bequeenz Beauty – Esther Ebis: A sustainable skincare company that collaborates with nature’s ingredients to offer nontoxic, innovative skincare products that promote social confidence and a healthier lifestyle.
- Lugha Link – Michelle Nyambura: A web-based platform that helps companies and employers find and hire qualified, industry-specific language translators and interpreters.
- Makele Youth Development Journey – Patricia Makele: Offers a simplified automatic water tank wash system recycled from scrap metals, designed for cleaning large water storage tanks.
Audience Awards:
- Agro Reference – Achille Constantin Judicaël Tchidehou: Transforms potential losses of local fruits into organic beverages for health-conscious consumers in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
- Aero Greens – Ngangelizwe Mathunjwa: An AgriTech startup revolutionizing urban agriculture with sustainable, soilless, vertical farming systems housed in repurposed shipping containers.
DDQIC expresses its deepest gratitude to the judges—Norman Musengimana, Hugh Cameron, and Nazaneen Qauomi—for their invaluable contribution, as well as to our sponsors and partners who made this event possible.
We would like to thank our program coaches, mentors, and representatives who organized each of the watch parties.
- Gaborone, Botswana - & the Ministry of Entrepreneurship at The Government of Botswana
- Nairobi, Kenya -
- Abomey-calavi, Benin -
- Kigali, Rwanda - ’s Enterprise Business Centre
- Kampala, Uganda -
- Mbarara, Uganda -
- Lagos, Nigeria - &
- Abuja, Nigeria -
- Borno, Nigeria -
- Cape Town, South Africa - Ministries
- Harare, Zimbabwe -
- Accra, Ghana -
- Kumasi, Ghana -
- Kingston, Canada -
We also want to recognise our photography and videography sponsors:
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- Fusion Avenue
- O.K.K. Multimedia
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The Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre at Queen’s University (DDQIC) is dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students and the wider community. Through various programs and initiatives, DDQIC supports the development of entrepreneurial skills and provides resources for aspiring entrepreneurs to succeed.
For more information, visit the DDQIC Website.