Nairobi Innovation Challenge 2021

The NIW Innovation Challenge provides the opportunity for early-stage startups to get recognition and be rewarded as the Most Promising Startups of 2021. The Nairobi Innovation Challenge 2021 will be divided into five categories. FOUR startups will be short-listed under each category, with all TWENTY making 5 minutes pitches at the NIW Startup Summit on March 12th, 2021.

Eligibility

• For Manufacturing: This category focuses on any startups involved in any aspect of the manufacturing sector from carrying out manufacturing activities to providing support to manufacturing enterprises
• For Food Security: This category seeks startups involved anywhere along the value chain from farm to plate. These could especially focus on post-harvest losses, improved production, access to cheaper inputs, better storage facilities, and so on.
• For Affordable Housing: Participation in this category is limited only by your imagination. Housing ranges from the brick and mortar aspects to financing models of construction and for ownership
• For Health: Are you a startup involved in any part of the health sector? If so this is your category.  This includes software applications, health care products, health services, training in health, among others
• For Cross-cutting: The last category is looking for all other startups that do not belong in any of the above categories, but are cross-cutting in that they could be in support all.  These could include startups involved in FinTech,  transport, the environment, energy, and so on

• Judges awards for the top startup in each category:
  • Cash prizes (Details to follow shortly)
  • Solutions Oriented Needs Assessment (SONA) + follow up workshop, courtesy of Agribusiness LLP (Value Ksh 250,000)
  • All awards under all applicants and Top 20 startups
• Peoples awards for a top startup in each category:
  • Cash prizes (Details to follow shortly)
• Awards for top 20 startups
  • One-Day pitching training, courtesy ABSA Bank
  • Two-Day Capacity Building Training, courtesy University of Nairobi and Partners.
  • Solutions Oriented Needs Assessment (SONA) Courtesy of Agribusiness LLP (Value Ksh 50,000).
  • 70% Discount on the cost to Exhibit at the NIW Innovation Exhibition (March 10-12, 2021)
  • All awards under “All Applicants”
• Awards for all applicants
  • Digital Business Planner, courtesy of Agribusiness LLP (Value Ksh 10,000)

Application Process

• The Application process will have four broad areas as outlined below. Please go through each carefully as you prepare your application materials
• THEMATIC AREA
  The Nairobi Innovation Challenge 2020 focuses on five thematic areas based on Kenya’s Big Four Agenda. They however take a broader view of the different sectors, namely:
  • Manufacturing: This category focuses on any startups involved in any aspect of the manufacturing sector from carrying out manufacturing activities to providing support to manufacturing enterprises
  • Food Security: This category seeks startups involved anywhere along the value chain from farm to plate. These could especially focus on post-harvest losses, improved production, access to cheaper inputs, better storage facilities, and so on.
    Affordable Housing: Participation in this category is limited only by your imagination. Housing ranges from the brick and mortar aspects to financing models of construction and for ownership
  • Health: Are you a startup involved in any part of the health sector? If so this is your category. This includes software applications, health care products, health services, training in health, among others
  • Cross-Cutting: The last category is looking for all other startups that do not belong in any of the above categories, but are cross-cutting in that they could be in support all. These could include startups involved in FinTech, transport, the environment, energy, and so on
• Note: During the application process, you will need to select one of the thematic areas.
•  STARTUP DETAILS
  Details required will include (none of these details will be publicly shared):
  • Start-up Name (you must be registered)
  • Name of CEO (basically the person in charge)
  • Contact details (phone, address, email, website)
  • In business since
  • Average gross annual revenue
• A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE
  Brief written descriptions (max 100 words each) shall be requested as follows:
  • What is the problem you are addressing?
  • What is your solution?
  • What is your business model?
  • What impact will your product or service have?
• THE 1 MINUTE PITCH
  • You will need to record a video (a great job can be done with a mobile phone) of a 1-minute pitch touching on each of the four areas – problem, solution, business model, impact – of your product or service. The time you allocate to each area is entirely up to you
    • The focus of the Nairobi Innovation Challenge is to reward startups that have innovative solutions to the problems society faces today. Since we are NOT investing in your startup, do not talk about the funding that you need in your video
    • Once your video is done, upload it to YouTube. During the application process, you will be asked to provide a link to the video
• Please note that all: pitches will be made public on the NIW Youtube Channel after the application process is over (SO, do not include in the video anything you do not want the world to know). Videos exceeding 1 minute will result in your disqualification
• Click here to apply