Talented entrepreneurs of the Africa Prize shortlist pitched their innovative businesses to judges at a special Africa Prize Live event in London yesterday.

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, now in its 6th year, recognises ambitious African innovators who are developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges.

The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi) have worked together to host the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for the last three years.

This year’s shortlist includes the creators of a smart library on wheels, facial recognition software to prevent financial fraud, a low-cost digital microscope to speed up cervical cancer diagnosis, bamboo bicycles made from recycled parts, and two innovations made from invasive water hyacinth plants: an animal feed and a cooking fuel.

The 2020 shortlist represents six countries, including, for the first time, Malawi. Six of the shortlist are female innovators.

Click here to watch the talented entrepreneurs pitch their businesses.

Meet the entrepreneurs

Aquaprotein, Jack Oyugi from Kenya – an affordable protein supplement for animal feed, made from invasive water hyacinth.

BACE API, Charlette N’Guessan from Ghana – a system that uses live facial recognition technology to verify identities and prevent financial and online identity fraud.

CATHEL, Catherine Tasankha Chaima from Malawi – an affordable antibacterial soap made from agricultural waste and other plant-based extracts.

CIST Ethanol Fuel, Richard Arwa from Kenya – a clean cooking ethanol made from invasive water hyacinth.

DryMac, Adrian Padt from South Africa – a containerised drying system that uses biomass instead of electricity to dry and preserve various products.

Eco Mobile Water Purification System, Timothy Kayondo from Uganda – a digital system that turns bones, cassava peelings, coconut shells and other waste into an activated carbon water filter.

EcoRide, Bernice Dapaah from Ghana – bamboo bicycles made by Ghanaian women from sustainable materials and recycled parts.

Farmz2U, Aisha Raheem from Nigeria – tech solutions that help farmers and families prevent food waste and enhance nutrition.

Garbage In Value Out (GIVO), Victor Boyle-Komolafe from Nigeria – automates and digitises the collection, processing and sale of recyclable materials.

GrainMate, Isaac Sesi from Ghana – a simple handheld meter to accurately measure the moisture content of grains to prevent rotting, mould and insect activity, and reduction of quality.

Lab and Library on Wheels, Josephine Godwyll and Martin Bruce from Ghana – a mobile, solar-hybrid cart with gadgets and e-learning resources to encourage reading and teach STEAM subjects in under-resourced schools.

PapsAI, Dr William Wasswa from Uganda – a low-cost digital microscope slide scanner and platform that diagnoses and manages cervical cancer in resource-constrained areas.

Remot, David Tusubira from Uganda – a digital platform that connects to off-grid solar systems to allow users to manage and pay for them remotely.

Safi Organics, Samuel Rigu from Kenya – a novel chemical process that turns crop waste into a range of affordable fertilisers.

Solar Cook Stove, Justine Abuga from Kenya – a heat storage system that allows rural schools to cook food quickly and easily without firewood.

Tree_Sea.mals Mini-Grid, Tracy Kimathi from Kenya – a solar system that powers communal refrigeration storage spaces in rural Kenya

In the end, it was entrepreneur Martin Bruce that won the audience over with Lab and Library on Wheels.

For eight months, the shortlisted engineers will receive tailored training and mentorship, facilitated by CiTi, to develop their ideas and help turn the engineers into successful entrepreneurs.

Following this period of mentorship, finalists are invited to present at an event held in Africa and a winner is selected to receive £25,000 along with three runners-up, who are each awarded £10,000.