Villgro Africa, Innovate Now and the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) have partnered to support entrepreneurs with Assistive Technology hardware innovations. Through a call for applications, innovators who are developing such solutions have been invited to apply.
The partnership will see entrepreneurs with innovations that are rehabilitative, assistive and adaptive for people living with disabilities or the elderly receive funding of up-to USD 20,000, training and mentorship on investor readiness, and get access to investor networks. The call is now LIVE at villgroafrica.org/call-for-applications-3

As part of this initiative, an innovation bootcamp will provide selected entrepreneurs with business skills to support commercially viable hardware technology and strengthen the capacity of Kenyan innovators with regards to scaling their enterprise and impact.

 

Who is eligible to apply?

This call shall be limited to Kenyan citizens who have the skills to actualise their hardware product.

 

How will you benefit?

• Funding - Initial investment funding pool of $20,000.
• Access to Networks - Access to development and investor networks from Innovate Now, KeNIA and Villgro Africa.
• Investment Readiness - Receive mentorship and training that will enable you to communicate effectively with potential partners and investors.

 

Selection Criteria

• Awareness of user needs - What work have you done to understand user needs and align with them?
• Potential for Impact - What is your assistive technology’s potential for social and/or environmental impact?
• Potential for scale - What is the potential size of the market for the assistive technology hardware innovation
• Maturity of assistive technology hardware product - How advanced is the product; functional prototype stage or market ready? Is Design for Manufacture & Assembly done?
• Team strength - Do you have a cross functional team e.g. comprising a doctor, engineer and marketer, that has the experience to drive the business to success?

 

How to apply?

• Applicants must first log in to their user account on VC4A to access the full application. If you don’t have a user account on VC4A, you will be asked to sign up and complete 3 onboarding questions, before you can start with your application.
• All applications have to be submitted via the online application form.

 

Application Deadline: 28^th March 2022

---

About Partners

Villgro Africa is an early-stage business incubator and impact investor that supports health and life science start-ups on the African continent – to transform product and process innovations into viable, scalable businesses that impact the base of the economic pyramid (BoP).

Innovate Now is Africa’s first Assistive Technology Accelerator and an initiative of the Global Disability Innovation Hub and partners including Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa, ICT Norway, and Amref Health Africa. The accelerator offers mentorship, learning and expert guidance over a 3 to 6 month period to create market fit, scalable and investable Assistive Technology. Innovate Now is made possible through funding support by FCDO as part of the AT2030 project and Norad through the Enabling Digital Assistive Technology and Assistive Technology Project.

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) is a State Corporation established under the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Act, No. 28 of 2013 under the Ministry of Education. The core mandate of the Agency is to develop and manage the National Innovation System. The Agency is therefore responsible for co-ordination, promotion, and regulation of the National Innovation Ecosystem.