The Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire has said that the country is entering “a season premiere” in its innovation journey, noting that many of the entrepreneurs showcasing their ideas are only at the beginning of what could become transformative ventures. ALSO READ: Cedrick Mupenzi of Sinc Today bags Rwf50m prize in Hanga PitchFest Speaking at Hanga PitchFest 2025, on Friday, November 14, where youth-led startups showcased ideas, she noted that the country is working to give emerging startups not just room to launch, but a real pathway to scale solutions in areas such as health, agriculture, education, emergency response, and financial services. “What we have had today is our young people telling us that they see the problems, they have the ideas, and they have the energy and now they need support within our reach. All they need is a deeper collaboration between government and private partners,” she said. The minister emphasised that the government’s role is not only to create policies and infrastructure that allow new ventures to emerge, but also to act as an early customer for solutions tackling public challenges in health, agriculture, emergency response, education, and finance. ALSO READ: A look at Hanga Pitchfest progress through the eyes of past winners “Today is not the final chapter,” she said. “It’s a season premiere. Many of these entrepreneurs are just getting started.” This year’s competition brought together 50 startups, but it was Re-Banatex, founded by Jonathan Shauri Kalibatha, that captured the top prize of Rwf 50 million. The company transforms discarded banana stems into fibre for bags, shoes, and carpets, a solution that merges climate action with Made-in-Rwanda creativity. Second place went to Neem, a startup enabling people at risk of diabetes to detect warning signs early through smart insoles, earning Rwf 20 million. Nabsil Grainbank followed in third, securing Rwf 15 million for its IoT-enabled grain storage system. Fourth and fifth positions went to Ambucycle, a motorcycle-powered ambulance service providing rapid first aid, and Ingoga Technologies, which digitises hospital operations to reduce paperwork and medical errors. Each received Rwf 12.5 million. The Minister pointed to the top five startups as proof of what local ingenuity can achieve.
