Western Africa Startup Awards

For our 157th episode, Terser Adamu was joined on Unlocking Africa by Sonia Kherigi Nasfi and Nour El Imane Nasfi Founders of DEAF SQUARE, which is an online career accelerator dedicated to bridging the gap between talented individuals who are hard of hearing and forward-thinking employers. They help hard of hearing people access high-quality education in the tech field, and job opportunities in leading industries.?Their platform also supports employers by connecting them with skilled professionals with disabilities. Using an AI-powered solution, Deaf Square offers adaptive learning experiences, and a virtual trainer designed to help users master sign language, ensuring a truly inclusive and impactful approach. Sonia recently achieved a significant milestone by winning the Northern Africa Startup Awards in the Women in Tech category, a well-deserved recognition of the dedication, innovation, and perseverance that have shaped Deaf Square's journey. During their conversation on the Unlocking #Africa #Podcast, they discussed: ? ? The unique dynamics and experiences of running a company as a mother-daughter team. ? ? The major barriers hard of hearing individuals face in accessing tech education and how they can be addressed. ? Practical advice for employers on creating a more inclusive hiring process for hard-of-hearing and disabled individuals. ? The role of AI in enhancing Deaf Square’s training programs and its impact on accessibility and learning outcomes. ? ? Unique insights from African startup culture that have influenced and shaped Deaf Square’s offerings. ? And much more… ? ?? Listen now by clicking the link below, and don't forget to share this with your network. ?? ? https://lnkd.in/gQCzFj-9 ? #WomenEntrepreneurs #TechInnovation #Accessibility #AfricaTech #Podcasting #PodcastHost

We're excited to announce that we'll be attending the Africa Tech Summit 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya this year. ?? Together with our strategic partners at MeOut Group, we're joining over 2,000 ecosystem enablers to explore Africa's tech-driven future. ?? Global Startup Awards Africa Northern Africa Startup Awards Central Africa Startup Awards Eastern Africa Startup Awards Southern Africa Startup Awards Western Africa Startup Awards #GSA #innovation #entrepreneurship #global #community #ATS2025 #ATSNBO #tech

Family, Technology, and Inclusion… The Inspiring Story of how a Tunisian online accelerator is empowering hard-of-hearing talent! This week, for Episode #157 of the Unlocking Africa Podcast, I had the pleasure of hosting the mother-daughter duo, co-founders of DEAF SQUARE, a digital career accelerator that upskills and mentors individuals from the deaf community and hard-of-hearing people. This inspiring episode is part of our ongoing collaboration with the Global Innovation Initiative Group and Global Startup Awards Africa.???? Sonia Kherigi Nasfi explained that she drew inspiration to jumpstart her startup while her daughter, Nour, was studying Sign Language at university. It was then that she became acutely aware of the difficulties the deaf community experiences in navigating their everyday lives. Partnering with her daughter Nour and Atef, who is deaf, the trio set out to address these challenges with practical, user-centric solutions.? Nour spoke about her upbringing, in particular the importance of being a good person and juggling the role of being a daughter and co-founder. The award-winning Deaf Square is an all-in-one Tunisian solution that empowers deaf individuals by providing specialised training, mentorship, and matching them with partners, aligned with the needs of today's job market. ?? What We Discussed With Sonia and Nour: ?? The unique dynamics and experiences of building a business as a mother-daughter team. ?? How AI enhances Deaf Square’s training programs for better accessibility. ?? Unique insights from African startup culture that have influenced and shaped Deaf Square’s offerings. ?? Tune in to listen to how Deaf Square is improving accessibility and empowering a large and often overlooked community with tech-enabled solutions. #WomenEntrepreneurs #TechInnovation #Accessibility #AfricaTech #Podcasting #PodcastHost Link to the episode in the comments!?

Votre innovation peut transformer des vies ! Le programme d'accélération HealthTech Hub Africa 2025 vous offre les outils pour évoluer et avoir un impact durable dans le domaine de la santé. Avantages de l'adhésion : Soutien financier pour développer votre solution Mentorat individuel de leaders du secteur Accès aux principaux investisseurs et décideurs Sessions de renforcement des capacités pour la mise à l'échelle Visibilité lors des principaux événements liés à la technologie de la santé Date limite : 17 Janvier 2025 Postulez maintenant : https://bit.ly/4g8rvC6 #TransformHealthcare #HealthTechHubAfrica #2025Accelerator

Thank you for being part of the Global Startup Awards Africa journey this season! With support from our partners, we’ve celebrated Africa’s brightest innovators, elevated solutions aligned with the UN SDGs, and showcased the continent’s entrepreneurial brilliance on a global stage. ? As we move into the next season, we’re ready to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones, uniting to empower the next wave of Africa’s tech leaders. Here’s to another year of collaboration, innovation, and scaling the solutions that will define Africa’s future. Global Startup Awards Global Innovation Initiative Group Smart Lab ASSEK EgyptInnovate - ????? ??? Jongo Hub Burkina Business Incubator Mahna Afrique Sensi Tech Innovation Hub DKS Incubation Center Rhotel Hub Jokkolabs Banjul MSME Business Development Services Limited Kosàla AKEWA ACCELERATEUR Burundi Business Inc Bbin Centre d'innovation de Lubumbashi (Cinolu) SING SA Sahel Green Hub Orbit Innovation Hub E-Combinator UniPod South Sudan Koneta Hub FEDERATION OF INNOVATIVE & NUMERIC ACTIVITIES IN MAURITIUS The Innovation Village iRise Hub EldoHub Comor'Lab BongoHive Technology and Innovation Hub Impact Tank Namibia Acelera Angola Mustard Seed Innovators Association of Eswatini - IAE Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub Hadina RIMTIC Incubator Nile Venture Lab - NVL

A huge thank you to our partners and sponsors—you are shaping the future of African entrepreneurship, and we couldn’t do this without your support! As we gear up for Edition 12, we invite YOU to join the movement to continue driving impact and transforming the continent together. Interested in partnering for Edition 12? Email us at [email protected] Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d7S3z-q9 Burkina Business Incubator DKS Incubation Center Rhotel Hub Jokkolabs Banjul MSME Business Development Services Limited

Shout out to Innovation Village Nigeria for their recent feature highlighting our Top 15 African Winners! ?? These innovators are set to advance to the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, representing Africa with pride on the global stage ?? Click the below link to read more ?? Burkina Business Incubator DKS Incubation Center Rhotel Hub Jokkolabs Banjul MSME Business Development Services Limited

Congratulations to PHARMARUN from Nigeria for being crowned the Global Startup Awards Africa Continental Winner for Best HealthTech 2024! In this video, Co-Founders; Teniola Adedeji & Funmilola Aderemi, share what this incredible achievement means to their team and the impact they aim to create. Watch and be inspired! Global Startup Awards Global Innovation Initiative Group

??? We are thrilled to share some incredible news! ??? Our company Winich Inc ?????? has just won the Best Agritech in Africa Award at the Global Startup Awards Africa ??!. This prestigious recognition is not only an honor but also a testament to the hard work, innovation, and dedication of our amazing team. As I shared with our team on Tuesday when we received the fantastic news:?"Daily they grind like the food the continent would eat next depends on them." This award validates our mission to transform agriculture and its supply chain through simple technology. It fuels our passion to keep pushing boundaries and create lasting impact. ?? The GSA Africa program has been an invaluable experience, offering visibility and an incredible platform to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors across the continent. We are truly excited about the future and the positive change we can bring as we continue to scale and innovate in the agritech space. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We look forward to the next chapter! ?? #Agtech #Innovation #GSAfrica #GlobalStartupAwards #Agriculture #Technology #Transformation #Entrepreneurship #Africa #FutureOfFood #supplychain

The highly anticipated announcement of the top 15 African Winners recently took place at the Global Startup Awards Africa Finale in Cape Town! A special congratulations to the following winners representing the Western Region ?? - Anna Ekeledo, Women in Tech (Nigeria) - PHARMARUN, Best Health Tech (Nigeria) - Winich Inc, Best AgriTech (Nigeria) These African innovators will now advance to the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale next year, representing the continent on the global stage. They’ll gain international recognition, amplified visibility with investors, and opportunities to connect with the GSA network of industry leaders and founders. ?? Click the following link to view full list of African Winners: https://lnkd.in/gUhGfAMd Burkina Business Incubator DKS Incubation Center Rhotel Hub Jokkolabs Banjul MSME Business Development Services Limited