The final race to find out which startups walk away with this years Hanga Pitchfest prizes kicks off this afternoon at the Kigali Arena. Five finalists selected out of a pool of 400 applicants will contest for a total of $100,000, with the overall startup winning $50,000 and the rest sharing the other half of the money. The stakes are getting high, especially looking at the current crowd, which includes students from various secondary schools in the country, players in the local tech ecosystem and investors that has convened in the arena. President Paul Kagame is also expected to grace the awarding ceremony, before addressing the crowd. Organized by the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Hanga Pitchfest is an annual competition that aims to provide a platform to showcase tech entrepreneurs and creative talent from all over the country. Meet the judges who have the task to select the winning startups. Clarisse Iribagiza. Iribagiza founded DMHehe back in 2010 while a student at the University of Rwanda. She has focused on creating vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems through mentorship, advocacy, and capacity building for technology entrepreneurs. The 31-year-old has also previously won different accolades including World top 100 thinkers, Africa’s 30 most promising entrepreneurs, winner of Inspire Africa among others. Alice Nkulikiyinka She is the Country Director of Business Partner Network, a leading Business Development Service provider in Rwanda since 2011. Nkulikiyinka has also previously managed ICT Banking projects in Zurich, London, New York & Singapore, among other responsibilities. Ron Fisher Fisher is a serial entrepreneur and Director of Strategic Product Growth and General Manager at Mindbody. Mindbody is a software-as-a-service company that provides cloud-based online scheduling and other business management software for the wellness services industry. Since its inception in 2001, the company services over 58,000 health and wellness businesses with about 35 million consumers in over 130 countries and territories. Eric Kacou Kacou, is Co-Founder and CEO of Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, an advisory and investment group serving entrepreneurs and leaders across Africa. ESPartners provides Intelligent Capital the right mix of insights and financing. He has also previously headed OTF Group in Rwanda, which was critical in building capacity for emerging leaders in the county. Professor Senait Fisseha She is an Ethiopia-born physician, lawyer and globally-recognized leader in reproductive health and rights. She currently serves as the Director of Global Programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, as well as adjunct professor at the University of Michigan.
