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Jumia/MTN 1st Megathon ‎Week Attracts Global Mobile Devices OEMs

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Jumia, Nigeria’s leading online shop and in a few days will be unveiling one of its biggest sale of the year, dubbed ‘the Biggest Mobile Sales Ever’ of the retail industry in Nigeria.

Supported by MTN and Mediatek, the Jumia Mobile Week Megathon will last for a week, starting on May 31st at midnight and lasting until Sunday the 7th of June at midnight, the company announced during a media barley in Lagos.

Jumia has collaborated with all the major international mobile brands to offer deals and amazing discounts on all mobile phones available on the website throughout the week.

Original Equipment Manufacturers like Archos, Blackberry, FLY, Huawei, iMose, Itel, Oraimo and Wiko are amongst the brands that Jumia has partnered with to bring to its customers the highest value for their money.

But the most noteworthy collaboration is undoubtedly the one Jumia stroke with the 7 biggest international mobile brands in Nigeria: InnJoo, Infinix, Tecno, Samsung, Apple, Lenovo and LG.

In addition to discounts on all the mobile phones of the brands, Jumia will offer its customers special “Hero” deals on all 7 brands. 

InnJoo will be unveiling in exclusivity its new InnJoo Fire and the best-seller InnJoo One.

Infinix, the highest selling mobile brand in Nigeria in March will have exclusive hero deals on the Infinix Hot X507 and the Infinix Hot Note.

Tecno will showcase its Tecno Y5 and L7 while Samsung will provide Jumia customers with an amazing hero deal on the Star Plus 2.

Apple, through Istore, the authorized retailer of Apple in Nigeria, comes with incredible hero deals on its two latest phones: the Iphone 6 and the Iphone 6+.

Lenovo will amaze us with hero deals on the A328 and A6000 and LG will close the show on Sunday with hero deals on the L60a and LG Magna.
 
Additional flash sales with discounts of 50% will also take place all through mobile week on hero deals and other new product launches…

New hero deals will be revealed every day of the week, starting at 5am on the Jumia App and at 9am on the desktop version.

With the Mobile week Megathon, Jumia contributes to the formidable growth of mobile penetration in Nigeria and supported by MTN, makes internet penetration easier: every phone bought on Jumia during the Mobile Week will be coming with a free 1 month Gigabyte data as well as a free music stream for 1 month with free SIM cards!
 
What is MTN Bringing?
MTN offers the widest data network in Nigeria with 61 million subscribers in Nigeria and unbeatable data prices.

MTN is supporting the Jumia Mobile week and offer on all purchase of mobile phone 1 month free 3GB data on every device bought during mobile.

MTN is a sponsor of the Jumia Mobile week.

On the other hand, MediaTek is a pioneering fabless semiconductor company and a market leader in cutting-edge systems on a chip for wireless communications, HDTV, DVD and Blu-ray.

MediaTek created the world’s first octa-core smartphone platform with LTE and our CorePilot technology released the full power of multi-core mobile processors headquartered in Taiwan.

Mediatek is also a sponsor of the Jumia Mobile week.

The OEMs
INFINIX
The INFINIX brand represents quality, affordable and premium lifestyle which it promotes encourages and sustains through its variety of products and services. With the brand spirit of challenging the norms, Infinix smart devices are designed specifically for young people who want to stand out, reach out and in sync with the world.

It inspires your daily life, with access to key features that young people look for, such as social networking, access to thousands of free apps and entertainment.

Since its creation in 2009, Infinix has become a major player in the mobile phones and tablets market.

Avant –garde designs, innovative functions and impeccable quality are just some of the reasons why millions of consumers are seduced by our products.

Infinix defines norms and opens the doors to the future, based on it slogan: The future is now!

Jumia mobile week affords us the opportunity to partner with a major player in the e-commerce industry in Nigeria to showcase our unique products and services.

The rapid growth of Jumia.com has seen it emerge as arguably the country’s number one online shopping portal, with over 1000 members of staff after just a short time in operation.

This is also similar to the growth achieved by the Infinix brand in the Nigerian market. Jumia is poised to maintain leadership in Nigeria’s online retail market.

The site controls 70% of the online retail market in the country and has serviced over a million customers, in addition to being independently ranked as second only to Google for preferred online shopping in Nigeria.

Dr. Jonathan Doerr, MD of Jumia Nigeria, said, ‎”Jumia mobile week affords us the opportunity to interact with other brands and compare products and services and also introduce latest trends in the industry.

“As is our commitment to our users and fans, in the near future, Infinix hopes to keep improving on our products and services to reflect the lifestyle of our users. We plan to tailor our devices to meet each individuals need according to their lifestyle and demands.

“Already evident are several improvements to our customer service delivery in terms of creating several avenues for our users to interact with our brand. One of the key elements of this is our Infinix forum which affords users the opportunity to tell us their challenges, offer user feedback and suggest product and service improvements. Another avenue is our Infinix community of users where we interact one on one with the Infinix users.

“Also customers can also keep expecting regular updates via OTA updates which will always offer product and service improvements.”

TECNO
Mr Chidi Okonkwo, Deputy Country Manager of TECNO Mobile said the Tech giant is keen on setting the pace on first high quality professional music phone BOOM J7 delivered to mobile users’ ears through this collaboration with Jumia and that’s one of the driving force behind the Mobile week partnership.

He stated that in 2014 Tecno mobile shipped in tens of millions of devices into the Nigerian market and this year we would increase that figure by a lot more and to be able to deliver our devices to the Nigerian market we should be able to drive strong offline and online partnership and distribution networks to meet the demand of our customers.

Tecno Mobile being one of the biggest mobile players in the Nigerian market strive to have very good service in the ecommerce space in the Nigeria market, and this service will aid the delivery of devices to numerous customers across Nigeria.

“Nigerians love music and we have designed the RIGHT phone that will give our Nigerian customers value and great experience for their money both on mobile services and entertainment and with our multi-channel off and online service we’ll continue to push our strategy of delivering the right product to our customers” Chidi informed.

He also  added that Tecno mobile as a brand is committed to innovation and customer experience and customers should expect to experience more in the area of entertainment with a special focus on music.

Chidi, on his part said that the Mobile Week would focus on how best to harness and promote mobile penetration and inclusion in Nigeria. He highlighted that, as more people spend more time each day on their mobile devices, the mobile platform is fast replacing traditional TVs and PCs in delivering primary entertainment in music, gaming and movies to consumers.

The DCM Tecno Nigeria boss holds the view that the Mobile Week will better showcase the online store’s strategy that has made Jumia Nigeria one of Africa’s most innovative stores in using Mobile platforms to bring the right products more closely to customers via refined mobile advertising toolkits.

SAMSUNG
Samsung and Jumia have partnered with World Reader, a non-profit organisation, in an initiative that will promote literacy and education by pre-installing 15,000 free e-books in Samsung entry level smartphones.

The select smartphones include, Ace 4 Lite, Ace 3, Trend Lite, J1, Star 2 Plus and Ace 4 Neo.

Customers can download about 15,000 e-books for free, thus reducing the cost and stress of having to seek for their hard copies.

The selected smartphones are imbued with the latest Android software, powerful processor with long lasting battery life as well as large memory of 4GB on board which is expandable to as much as 64 GB.

These devices are also provided with an additional 50GB Dropbox cloud memory to download and save books.

The Samsung smartphones pre-installed with the World Reader app are available on Jumia, Nigeria’s leading online retailer and as such can be purchased online and delivered to you anywhere in Nigeria.

The icing on the cake is that these phones will be available at unbelievably discounted prices during the Jumia Mobile Week which takes place from the 1st of June till the 7th of June.

“At Samsung, we believe mobile devices have the power to move people from where they are to where they want to be, which is why we have partnered with World Reader and Jumia on this. We have retailed over 250,000 devices, priced below N25,000 each, mostly to young Nigerians and believe these numbers will be dwarfed, both in terms of retailed units and price, by what is to come during the Jumia Mobile Week”, said Brovo Kim, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa.

According to Kim, it takes only about 4MB to download 1000 pages, making it easy for consumers to download and read as much as they want without expending so much data. The World Reader app also features books that are suitable for every taste from over 100 African writers, including notable African authors.

“We are proud to be associated with Samsung and World Reader on this project. We have always been passionate about child literacy, with our long running involvement in the 1 book 1 child project a good example. Every child has a right to education and we are delighted to be part of the solution to the challenge in the education sector. We believe this partnership will help promote literacy and education among Nigerians”, said Jonathan Doerr, MD Marketing, Jumia Nigeria.

The Samsung devices will also receive free regular updates of the World Reader app, enhancing the relevance of the content.

LENOVO
Recognising the transformative potential of mobile technology for economic growth, job creation, businesses and wider digital inclusion of Nigeria’s citizens, global leader in mobile communications, Lenovo, the world’s number one PC company and Nigeria’s largest online retail store, Jumia, have combined their resources and expertise to enhance the mobile experience of Nigerians with the country’s biggest mobile sale yet.

The sale is a part of the ongoing Jumia Mobile Week, an initiative geared at enhancing levels of mobile awareness and increasing access to mobile devices among Nigerians.

Describing the move as a demonstration of Lenovo’s commitment to creating and broadening key partnerships that deliver rich mobile experiences to Nigerians, Mr Shashank Sharma, ‎executive director, Mobile Business Group at Lenovo, Middle East and Africa (MEA), expressed the company’s pleasure at being able to deepen its long-standing relationship with Jumia.

“We are very excited to work with Jumia towards increasing Nigerians’ access to mobile technologies. This initiative will help us drive access to affordable and ubiquitous mobile services amongst consumers. It also empowers us to provide a larger set of consumers with increased awareness on mobile as well as access to our superior technology. We believe that every Nigerian should have access to the exciting world of smartphones and Jumia Mobile Week provides another platform through which we can achieve this goal,” he said.

Besides creating a channel for consumers to purchase authentic Lenovo products at affordable prices, the Jumia Mobile Week Megathon also provides Nigerians with access to the latest entrants into Lenovo’s smartphone portfolio.

These include the Lenovo S90, a perfect selfie companion with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and front LED flash; the ergonomically designed Lenovo S60 that showcases users’ fun and social sides as well as the revolutionary dual-SIM Lenovo A6000 smartphone, the first and only budget device in the market to support 4G LTE networks for the fastest data connectivity.

On his part, Jeremy Doutte, CEO of Jumia Nigeria said: “Jumia is committed to fostering digital inclusion by bringing mobile products closer to the doorstep of Nigerians. Our ongoing Jumia Mobile Week is another step in this direction. Customer experience remains central to the services that we provide and this has ensured a strong partnership between ourselves and Lenovo.”

Doutte urged Nigerians to visit Jumia’s online store on www.jumia.com.ng/megathon and discover for themselves the ease and benefits of online shopping.

INNJOO
InnJoo is a technical startup born with internet DNA. We’re not only providing smart devices but also software services in the MEA area.

– InnJoo listens and does the localisation from the user’s perspective. – InnJoo insists good products need not to be labeled with a high price tag.

– InnJoo strives to continue an Internet Journey with more users and more fun. Born for new generation, we are young, we are change makers!

Amidst the tides of Internet, Jumia Mobile Week opens a wider door to the public and provides every brand a platform to show their style. InnJoo won’t want to miss it, we are born here.

As the biggest mobile sales event in Nigeria, it’s offering the best prices online for the world’s hottest phone brands, consumers can benefit from Internet Joy and start their own Internet Journey.

Jumia Mobile Week also offers every phone with 3GB Data and 6 months of free whatsApp instantly as an extra offer; this is something different and beneficial to the bands and consumer.

Mobile Week has the potential to be a yearly mobile online event, which is a kind of “Oscar Ceremony” in technology industry. Consumers have the right to choose their own favourite brand and mobile model, while brands will improve themselves for the market to the better and better.

As the official gold partner, InnJoo will have an exclusive sales day at the first day of June.

From June 1st to 7th, InnJoo products including smartphone, tablet and accessory are at up to 30% discount as the best price ever compared to the market average price with the same specifications.

Looking at the product line, all of InnJoo phones are equipped with 2GB Ram for better user experience, low price but not low-end. Smartphone InnJoo Fire – 5.0 inch | 2GB Ram | 4 textures shell (Natural Bamboo optional) InnJoo ONE – 5.0 inch | 2GB Ram | Octa-core | 5+13 MP InnJoo Note Pro – 5.5 inch | 2GB Ram | 8+13 MP | 3000 mAh; ‎ Tablet InnJoo F1 – 7.0 inch | Dual SIM; InnJoo F2 – 10.1 inch | Dual SIM; InnJoo Leap 4 – Intel inside | 4500 mAh | 3G&Wifi; Power Bank; InnJoo E1 10,000 mAh and
InnJoo E5 15,000 mAh‎.

LG
LG Electronics (LG) unveiled its eagerly anticipated LG G4 smartphone on the 29th of April, at launch events in New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Istanbul and Seoul.

Approximately 1,000 guests around the world gathered to view the new LG G4, the successor to the G3, which exceeded all expectations in terms of sales and industry awards.

Among the first users of the LG G4 will be 4,000 lucky customers who will receive the new smartphone as part of the company’s largest-ever consumer experience campaign.

With the G4, LG focused on delivering comfortable elegance, a great visual experience and a human-centric user experience.

The LG G4 camera features a rare-in-smartphones F1.8 aperture lens which allows 80 percent more light to hit the image sensor than in the LG G3.

The innovative camera module is paired with the new IPS Quantum Display that is better in every way than the innovative Quad HD display introduced to the world in the LG G3.

The LG G4 embodies human sensibility that is clearly visible in its Slim Arc exterior design and graphical user interface.

“We are living up to our promise of Innovation for a Better Life with a fashionable, premium smartphone that is more focused on delivering a balanced user experience that can compete with the best of the best,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We wanted to give consumers a truly human-centric device that combined the analog sensibilities with technologies that delivered real world performance. From the design to the camera to the display to the UX, this is the most ambitious phone we’ve ever created.”

Comfortable & Elegant Design
LG paid special attention to the materials utilized in its newest flagship.

The LG G4 is available in handcrafted, genuine full grain leather in six beautiful colors.

The vegetable tanning process employed is an age old tradition that requires skilled craftsmen to produce and dye the leather.

Most importantly, vegetable tanned leather is environmentally friendly and can be recycled easily, since no harsh chemicals are used. Other material options for the G4 rear cover include pure Ceramic White with 3D patterns, artisan-forged Metallic Gray as well lustrous, Shiny Gold.

The fashionable elegance of the LG G4 is a refreshing change from the uniformly flat, full metal designs that have been become standard across the industry. The LG G4’s design is defined by the Slim Arc, which runs along its entire body, highlighted by a display with a subtle curvature.

More than just a design accent, Slim Arc offers 20 percent better durability than a flat smartphone in face-down drops and gives the smartphone a more comfortable and secure feel in the hand.
Great Visual Experience

LG designed the 16MP camera in the LG G4 to capture beautiful images, even under less than ideal lighting conditions, among other interesting features and devices.

APPLE
iStore and iStore Online is an Apple Authorized Reseller (AAR), providing a dedicated hub for for consumers to purchase Apple products and accessories.

With a recent partnership with Jumia to take the Apple experience online, iStore and iStore Online is the most reliable Apple Authorised Reseller in Nigeria.

iStore Online aims to maximise customer value offerings by providing an authentic Apple experience and offering online customers exclusive offline services such as in-store complimentary training, technical support, and technical set-up.

As Apple Authorized Resellers, buying from iStore and iStore Online gives customers the peace of mind that they are buying the real thing and not buying fake, stolen or grey Apple products.

This means, ‎customers will get the most out of their investment; ‎customers are helping in the fight against fraud and criminal activity; ‎all authentic Apple devices carry the 1-year Apple warranty and ‎customers will receive free in-store training and technical support.

iStore and iStore Online share Jumia’s vision of offering customers premium devices at great savings.

Jumia Mobile Week offers consumers the opportunity to share the Apple experience with via a fantastic online platform.


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Defending the Foundations for Connectivity

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By Engr. Gbenga Adebayo

In 2001, when the first GSM call was made in Nigeria, how many of us would have envisaged the digital world that we live in today?

Defending the Foundations for Connectivity

Gbenga Adebay, chairman, ALTON

The pace of growth and the rate of adoption of telecoms solutions in Nigeria has been revolutionary. It is a globally acknowledged case study that we should be proud of and a clear demonstration of what can be achieved.

Almost all of us today are reliant on the network connectivity that it has enabled in different shapes and forms. From the simple need to communicate with loved ones, to the digital platforms that enable our access to and consumption of entertainment, financial products and other critical services.

Our reliance on these systems is becoming more and more acute, whether it is citizens, governments, or corporations.

System downtime is increasingly disruptive and offline manual redundancies are often in the advanced stages of being phased out. The pace of this transition is not slowing down. With the core infrastructure in place, innovation is driving the exponential growth of services that ride on it. From the fully adopted social media that has changed the way we interact, to the emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.

While this innovation is enabling exciting new possibilities, there is a tendency to focus on those opportunities, to the detriment of the core infrastructure on which it rides.

It is imperative that we retain a focus on the optimisation of that infrastructure and enable continued investment in its development.

We have seen how the transition from 2G, through to 3G, 4G and 5G have each enabled the development of more and more sophisticated solutions.

The continued development of core infrastructure has to be sustainable, and over the last few months we have begun to see the challenges that the operators that provide it are facing.

Both MTN and Airtel have declared significant foreign exchange (FX) losses in Nigeria, and the stress is not linked to them alone.

The entire ecosystem is battling with a range of challenges that must be addressed. If we fail to do so, the downstream impact on innovation will be severe. Telecoms infrastructure requires a base level of investment to maintain its current capabilities, and significant additional investment to expand and grow. It is capital intensive and that capital has to be generated through sustainable business models.

At the heart of the challenge the industry faces is the issue of rising costs.

Recent financial losses are directly linked to the cost of operating towers that rely on inputs like diesel, which have increased significantly as the Naira has depreciated.

The provisions large telecom companies have had to make, and the consequent losses and impact on their reserves is a red flag.

It tells us that business as usual is not sustainable. If we continue as we are, then those companies will struggle to continue to invest in and maintain existing services.

But those costs are not the only challenge. General cost inflation, multiple taxation, regular and damaging vandalisation of infrastructure and the costs associated with regulatory compliance all help contribute to the high cost of operations.

We cannot continue to follow a path that asks those companies to simply accept those rising costs. It is no longer sustainable, and we have reached an inflection point.

This is a critical moment for the industry.

How we approach and resolve it will define the future of Nigeria’s digital economy.

If you want to be able to enjoy the benefits that digitisation brings. If we want the infrastructure that enables AI and helps us drive growth, then we must take action now.

Cost-reflective tariffs, like it or not, are simply non-negotiable. We have seen the impact of price controls in other segments of the economy, like power.

If providers cannot operate sustainable business models, then they stop investing. When that happens, the existing infrastructure starts to crumble.

For power, a consumer can choose to take ownership of the solution by buying a generator, or a solar panel.

For fuel, the government can step in as the provider of last resort and manage a subsidy regime that mitigates the impact on the population. Those options are not available in the telecoms sector. There is no self-help solution.

We fully understand and appreciate the financial stress that Nigerians are experiencing today. The cost of living is the single most significant factor in most people’s daily lives.

But those people are still able to enjoy the benefits that connectivity brings, at the price they paid before these challenges became so acute.

Imagine a future in which the gains of the last twenty years are reversed. Nigeria, and Nigerians simply cannot afford it. The pain that we would feel under those circumstances would be exponentially worse.

We need to find a long-term, sustainable and manageable solution to this problem. Prices will need to rise, but action needs to be taken in a measured way, through sustainable conversations and partnership with the government. It is time to address this head on.

 

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo is chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).


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ALTON, ATCON Urge FG to Address Telecoms Industry Challenges

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The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), representing Mobile Network Operators and telecommunication companies in Nigeria, are calling upon the government to take decisive action in addressing the numerous challenges confronting the telecommunications industry.

In a statement jointly signed by Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON and Engr. Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, ATCON President, the associations underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to overcome obstacles hindering the sector’s growth and development.

Infrastructure Deficits: ALTON & ATCON members still lack access to essential telecommunication services due to a myriad of challenges, including multiple taxation and regulations and prohibitive Right of Way (RoW) charges, inadequate electric power supply and vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure.

 Protection of Assets and Network Infrastructure: Advocating for legislation that

designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (“CNI”): Both Associations expressed deep concern over the escalating security threats facing telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria.

Telecommunications infrastructure undisputedly plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s national security and socioeconomic growth, especially as the country currently contends with multiple security challenges that require urgent and immediate actions in response to these threats.

Attacks on cell towers, fibre optic cables, and other critical assets disrupt telecommunications services and result in significant financial losses for operators.

The associations urge the government to prioritize the security of telecommunications infrastructure and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to enhance protection measures and combat vandalism and sabotage effectively.

Cost-Reflective Tariff of Services: ALTON and ATCON respectfully reiterate that telecommunications infrastructure development requires substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades.

Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last (11) years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.

For a fully liberalized and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.

ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.

Regulatory Independence: ALTON & ATCON advocates for the sustenance of a culture of independence in the regulatory landscape to safeguard against undue influence and unwholesome incursion into the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) or (Commission) domain, which will inspire trust in the telecommunications sector and encourage investment.

Regulatory neutrality and independence are crucial to ensuring a thriving telecommunications sector. Statutory provisions lend credence to this notion, as a lack of an impartial regulator will lead to a failure to maintain public confidence in the objectivity and independence of its decisions.

ALTON and ATCON reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively with the government to address the challenges facing the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

By fostering a conducive regulatory environment, prioritizing infrastructure development, enhancing security measures, and facilitating pricing adjustments, the government can unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, driving economic growth and societal development.

 


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Qualcomm Shortlists Startups for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2024 and Awards 2023 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund

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Qualcomm Incorporated today announced the shortlisted startups for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2024, as well as the winner of the 2023 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund.

The Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform, now in its second year, aims to work with and support the development of Africa’s emerging technology ecosystem by providing mentorship, education, and training programs with a focus on 5G, Edge-AI/ML, Compute, and IoT. This year, Qualcomm received an overwhelming response, with approximately 250 applications from 30 countries.

Highlights: 

  • Startup cohort announced for 2024 Qualcomm Make in Africa startup incubation program featuring technologies.
  • Announcement of the awardee of the 2023 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund, supporting startups in scaling their societal and market impact.
  • Development of L2Pro Africa website content nears completion, providing free online training on intellectual property protection.

As the first initiative of its kind in Africa, Qualcomm Make in Africa is an equity-free mentorship program that identifies promising early-stage startups keen on applying advanced connectivity and processing technologies such as 5G, Edge-AI/ML, Compute, and IoT to innovative end-to-end systems solutions, including hardware.

These startups have demonstrated exceptional potential in applying advanced connectivity and processing technologies to innovative end-to-end systems solutions.

The selected startups will receive free mentorship, business coaching, access to engineering consultation for product development, and guidance on protecting intellectual property. The 2024 cohort includes the following startups (listed in alphabetical order):

  • Aurora Health from Kenya provides AI-based cardiovascular health care tools
  • CropScan from Kenya uses solar-powered smart farming IoT devices
  • Cure Bionics from Tunisia makes smart 3D printed prosthetic arms
  • DevisionX from Egypt provides AI-based low-code computer vision tools
  • Kalio from Cameroon is building AI tools for Agricultural IoT
  • Kitovu from Nigeria provides tools and software for smart agricultural warehouse management
  • NextAI Studios from Kenya builds AI-based emotion detection into toys for children’s mental healthcare
  • RIM Nextgen from Kenya, uses smart tools for monitoring propane consumption
  • Sparcx from South Africa uses AI for enhancing radar signal processing
  • Vizmerald from Tunisia, is working on AI-based textile industry inspection

Qualcomm is also proud to announce the awardee of the 2023 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund. This fund, provided by Qualcomm through its Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ Initiative, aims to support startups in scaling their societal and market impact.

Ecorich Solutions Limited, a female-founded organization based in Nairobi, Kenya, will be awarded funding to help scale the impact of their smart organic food composter.

Wireless Reach funding will support Ecorich to address the dual challenge of organic waste management and the need for sustainable agricultural practices, with the goal of reducing environmental pollution, improving crop yields for farmers, and mitigating waste-related health risks for communities.

The other nine startups from the 2023 cohort will also receive valuable stipends to continue fueling their growth. These startups have showcased innovative uses of wireless technology to address pressing needs in their communities.

In addition, Qualcomm is excited to highlight the progress of the L2Pro Africa IP e-learning Platform, a free online training program designed to empower startups, SMEs, and researchers in Africa to protect, secure, and maximize their innovations. This program has been created in collaboration with Adams and Adams, Africa’s leading intellectual property (IP) law firm.

The education content has been updated with individual filing procedures for patents, industrial designs, and trademarks in the countries of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda and within the two African patent organizations, ARIPO and OAPI.

These step-by-step descriptions of per-country filing requirements empower inventors to interact effectively with IP professionals such as an IP attorney and their respective IP offices.

“I am thrilled with the overwhelming response to the Africa Innovation Platform this year,” said Alex Rogers, President, QTL & Global Affairs, Qualcomm Incorporated.

“The quality and diversity of the applications received reflect the immense talent and potential within Africa’s technology ecosystem.

“We are excited to work with the shortlisted startups and provide them with the necessary resources and support to drive innovation and create a positive impact in their communities.”

“We applaud Qualcomm for launching the second year of its Innovate in Africa Platform, which not only equips the upcoming generation of African entrepreneurs with expertise in pivotal areas like AI/ML, healthcare, agri-tech, smart cities, and communications but also empowers them to safeguard their intellectual property through the complimentary L2ProAfrica program.”, said John Omo, secretary general, African Telecommunications Union (ATU).

Mr. Omo also emphasized that the ATU remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the continent. “Our youth innovation program, among other initiatives, plays a crucial role in cultivating the talents and aspirations of Africa’s young visionaries,” he affirmed. “We are ready to collaborate with additional partners to realize this objective.”


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