Two women-led solutions and three of their male counterpart are contesting for a $50,000 grand prize for this year's Hanga Pitchfest, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has confirmed. This is the second edition of Hanga Pitchfest, the annual challenge, aims to provide a platform to showcase tech-entrepreneurs and creative talent from all over the country. It is a brainchild of the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and Rwanda Development Board (RDB), among other partners. Among the women-led solutions is Lifesten health, an initiative that seeks to develop incentive-based health and wellness programs to help people adopt healthy behaviour. While the second one, Huuza seeks to connect and showcase African culture through fun and interactive games. Meanwhile, in the male category, among the finalists is Mulika Farms, an initiative that empowers farmers by connecting them directly to larger markets, cutting down the supply chain in a bid to increase the value of the farmers' crops. Also making the cut is school nest, an integrated digital school management system that offers a range of services designed to automate and improve efficiency and effectiveness in schools. Paying tone, a digital credit platform that allows consumers to purchase goods and services on credit to help them keep up with the basic standard of living, is also among this year's top five solutions. Come Saturday, December 10, this year's top innovator will be awarded in a grand ceremony expected to take place at the BK Arena. According to The Ministry of ICT and Innovation, the challenge attracted over 400 applicants from all over the country. The group was cut down to 45 best solutions, and proceeded to the 25 best solutions who headed for a bootcamp, before short listing them to the best five. This is a celebration of innovation in Rwanda, commented Esther Kunda, Director General of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the Minict. We want to celebrate innovative people who are building companies, because you know being an entrepreneur is not an easy journey. According to Kunda, celebrations will also be extended to Innovation within the corporate work and as well as the public sector. Ordinarily, the overall winner is awarded with a grand prize of $50,000 while the other four share another $50,000.
