Medical firm Sanofi announced an Africa-wide startup challenge that will search for innovative solutions to improve access to healthcare and transform the healthcare ecosystem. Sanofi explained the pitching exercise, which this post will outline once more, as well as the registration process.
To begin with, there will be three challenges, which we covered in a previous post linked above, but to recap, the first one will target to look for ways that can be leveraged to enhance awareness, diagnosis and disease management of patients suffering from the diabetes; the second one will search for solutions that can improve access to medicines in remote areas from supply chain management to alternate payment channels; and lastly, the third challenge will examine solutions decision-makers in getting a better use of available health data.
Why participate
Participants, whether as an individual or group, can use Sanofi’s platform to showcase their solutions to the Challenges to the attendees in the Afric@Lab. They can then develop their network with notable stakeholders and investors. It is also worth noting that participants will be given 4 tickets for the 3-day fair at VivaTech. Participants will also have an opportunity to attend a pitch preparation workshop the day before the staging of VivaTech prior to pitching to a jury of Sanofi executives and stakeholders.
Lastly, the participation exercise will entail discussions and one-on-ones with industry experts who will grace the event. Sanofi says it will coach and mentor participants, and successful groups will stand a chance of an acceleration programs, with a possible opportunity for financial help and access to Sanofi internal expertise.
Selection process
The selection criterion is based on several prerequisites. To begin with, participants, who must be Africa-based, must give at least a proof of concept with positive results in one African state. The solution must be mature, with concrete technology integrations and relevance to the market. The teams should be skilled, and prior experience in the field is a bonus. Lastly, should scientific evidence be requested, participants should be able to offer it.
Deadline
Sanofi will close the application window in three days, which is 14 February 2019.
All applications details can be accessed here.
