Uganix, represented by Joan Rukundo Nalubega, CEO, Wape represented by CEO Collins and Mpampe Digital Services Ltd represented by Ronnie Atuhaire, Co-founder and CTO have been emerged as Uganda’s finalists to compete at the Entrepreneurship World Cup where the winner will receive 500,000USD ( five hundred thousand United States Dollars ) for their business.
Uganix is committed to preventing malaria through the use of everyday household products, such as soap and creams, infused with mosquito repellents. Joan highlighted Uganix's impact on reducing malaria cases in Uganda and their plans to expand into Kenya and Rwanda.
Mpampe is a crowdfunding platform designed to address the shortcomings of existing platforms by offering multilingual support, AI-driven assistance, and a focus on transparency and accountability. Ronnie emphasized Mpampe's potential to become Africa's largest crowdfunding platform, catering to diverse linguistic communities and ensuring that funds are used as intended.
Waape is building Africa's Digital Talent Marketplace to make hiring underrepresented African freelancers more accessible for startups and SMEs. Waape Vanguard is your go-to platform for efficient and accurate candidate shortlisting. Our cutting-edge SaaS solution simplifies the hiring process. 280 Million of Africa’s Youth are either unemployed or underemployed and at the same time, 89% of startups never make it past the first year. Waape represented Uganda at GEC Africa competition in 2023 and automatically makes it into the top Global 250 .
The Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) Uganda 2024 Grand Finale, held virtually on August 12th, 2024, was a celebration of innovation, resilience, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Uganda's brightest minds. The finalists presented their business concepts to a distinguished panel of judges, including Hadijah Nankanja, Rosemary Mutyabule, and Iga Zinunula, who evaluated the pitches based on innovation, impact, scalability, and feasibility in a session moderated by Abid Weere Businge.
The Entrepreneurship World Cup Uganda 2024 was supported by a collaborative network of partners dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in Uganda. GEN Uganda led the initiative, with Geuka Africa serving as the National Coordinator, ensuring the seamless execution of the competition. KII-Impact and Enterprise Uganda played crucial roles as supporting partners, offering valuable resources and guidance to the finalists, contributing to the event's success and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem in Uganda.
The ventures will advance to the next round of the global competition against national winners from 200 countries where they stand a chance to win up to 500,000 USD. In preparation for the EWC Global Finals, the finalists will participate in an acceleration program which features virtual training and one-to-one mentoring targeted to their company’s current stage and growth trajectory. The Uganda Entrepreneurship World Cup Final was sponsored by Geuka Africa, Enterprise Uganda and KII-Impact
Other finalists at EWC Uganda included:
TWAVE Limited
Presenter: Willy Katumwa, Director
Concept: TWAVE Limited introduced an automated solar fish feeder equipped with real-time monitoring and AI to optimize fish feeding practices. The device targets freshwater fish farmers and aims to reduce food wastage, improve fish health, and increase farmers' productivity.
Impact: The solution addresses the critical challenge of efficient fish farming in Uganda, which is crucial for food security and economic development.
One Stock Limited
Presenter: Clara Asiimwe (on behalf of Nixon Kitimoi)
Concept: One Stock Limited is an investment management firm with a focus on sustainability and supporting smallholder farmers. The company manages significant assets and has been recognized with numerous awards for its contributions to Uganda's agricultural sector.
Impact: One Stock Limited plays a critical role in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by providing them with access to capital and investment opportunities.
Helton Traders LLP
Presenter: Munyasa Hellen
Concept: Helton Traders LLP aims to manufacture sustainable polyester fabric sewing threads from recycled plastic bottles. This initiative addresses the dual challenge of plastic pollution and the reliance on imported sewing threads in Uganda and East Africa.
Impact: The project has the potential to significantly reduce plastic waste while providing a more affordable and sustainable product for the textile industry.
Patapia
Presenter: Rebecca Patapia
Concept: Patapia is dedicated to empowering refugees by providing them with business training, financial services, and access to capital. The company has financed over 1,000 refugees in Kampala and has expanded to the Ramwanja Refugee Camp, with plans to further scale to the Chaka Refugee Camp.
Impact: Patapia is creating economic opportunities for refugees, helping them to become self-reliant and contribute to their communities.