PARIS, France -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Viva Technology and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced today the top 45 start-ups that have been long-listed for the first edition of the AfricaTech Awards. This pan-African initiative, supported by Proparco, aims to recognize and support emerging start-ups that are driving innovation and development impact across the continent in three main sectors - Climate Tech, FinTech, and Health Tech. 

The 45 start-ups - 15 in each of the three Awards categories - have been selected from a total pool of more than 300 applications, with Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Morocco showing the highest participation rates. Overall, FinTech is the category that received the most applications (124), followed by Health Tech (95), and Climate Tech (93). Nearly 60% of the applicant start-ups have at least one woman on their board.  

“The number and quality of applications received is a testament to Africa’s vibrant tech scene, which has proven to be resilient even in the face of the many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director. “These Awards will help scale innovations in key sectors like climate tech, health, and financial services, which are critical to supporting the continent’s sustainable and inclusive growth.” 

The final winners (one per category) will be announced at the first AfricaTech Awards ceremony, which will take place during the 2022 edition of Viva Technology on June 15-18 in Paris. The three winning start-ups will benefit from access to the Viva Technology, IFC and category sponsors' networks, as well as select one-on-one meetings with leaders and top executives in the tech industry. 

"Africa is a breeding ground for talent and new ideas, and we are delighted to see so many innovative entrepreneurs participating in this first edition of the AfricaTech Awards," said Viva Technology Co-Presidents Maurice Lévy and Pierre Louette, and Managing Director Julie Ranty. “It is a pleasure to be able to highlight these impactful start-ups and help promote their solutions across the continent and beyond.” 

The top 15 start-ups in the FinTech category, sponsored by Cassava Technologies, include: 

Abela - South Africa 

Applied Logic Ltd - Nigeria 

Click2Sure - South Africa 

Crop2Cash - Nigeria 

DreamCash - Cameroon 

Duhqa - Kenya 

eMaisha Pay - Uganda 

Franc - South Africa 

ImaliPay - Kenya 

Lipa Later - Kenya 

Neqabty - Egypt 

Popote pay - Kenya 

Premiercredit - Zambia 

Proxalys - Senegal 

SingPay - Gabon 

The top 15 start-ups in the Health Tech category, sponsored by Orange, include: 

Access Afya - Kenya 

Aviro Health - South Africa 

BokDoc - Egypt 

Chefaa - Egypt 

Keeplyna - Tunisia 

Med - Tunisia 

Meditect - Qatar 

Primed E-Health - France, Nigeria, Uganda 

SonoCare - Nigeria 

Vekta Innovations - South Africa 

Vula Mobile - South Africa 

Wala Digital Health - Ghana 

Welnes - Egypt 

Zencey - Ivory Coast 

Zuri Health - Kenya 

The top 15 start-ups in the Climate Tech category, sponsored by New Energy Nexus, include: 

AGROTECH PLUS - Kenya 

ATLAN Space - Morocco 

Bekia - Egypt 

Easy Matatu - Uganda 

Eco-V GreenTower - South Africa 

Farmtopia - Egypt 

Ipren Group - Nigeria 

iShamba Limited - Kenya 

Koolboks - France, Nigeria, and 12 additional countries 

Kumulus - France and Tunisia 

MyJouleBox (Aress) - Benin 

Seavo - Egypt 

SUNPave - Egypt 

The Awareness Company - South Africa 

WEEE Centre - Kenya 

KEY DATA 

3 award categories 

Climate Tech, FinTech, Health Tech,  

312 applications 

45 long-listed start-ups 

3 final winners to be announced at VivaTech in June 

Find the top 45 list here 

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Viva Technology.

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About Viva Technology 

VivaTech is the biggest startup and tech event in Europe and is recognized worldwide as a powerful catalyst for business transformation, startup growth and innovation for the common good. Since 2016 VivaTech has brought together in Paris the world’s top business leaders, startups, investors, researchers and thinkers for a unique experience combining inspiration, networking and a showcase for innovation. Starting with the 2021 edition VivaTech is now enriched with a digital platform that connects a global community of innovators. The sixth edition of VivaTech is taking place 15-18 June 2022. More information available at https://vivatechnology.com/media and @VivaTech.  

Press Contacts Viva Technology :  
Léa Roos: lroos@vivatechnology.com 
Pierre-Henri Paty: vivatech@publicisconsultants.com 

About IFC 

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capitol, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.  

Press Contacts IFC :  
In Nairobi : Kristina Ifeoma Nwazota: knwazota@ifc.org  
In Paris : Egidio Germanetti: egermanetti@ifc.org   
In Washington DC: Nicola Vesco : nvesco@ifc.org