Four startups have been selected to join the first Ugandan cohort of the Up Accelerate programme which focuses on tech solutions to improve sexual and reproductive health, with each of the startups securing US$10,000 funding.
Disrupt Africa reported in November the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced it would launch its sexual health-related accelerator in Uganda, in collaboration with Kampala-based hub Outbox, following a successful launch in Nairobi.
The Up Accelerate programme seeks to explore new and engaging ways to tackle pressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges in Uganda while promoting social entrepreneurship among young people.
10 startups pitched to a panel of seven judges for a place on the accelerator earlier this week.
The four selected to join the accelerator were Snap HMIS – a mobile application that helps hospital data clerks compile health management information system reports accurately and in real time; mobile app Teheca, which helps find the closest and most qualified caretaker best suited to a user’s care needs from a pool of qualified caretakers; Drug Dash – an information system to help health centres and distribution centres manage essential medicines and health supply stock levels through analytical dashboards; and IDrain, which is an improved chest drainage system which removes the pleural effusion contents of mothers.
In addition to joining the four-month accelerator programme, the four startups received US$10,000 each to allow them to develop their solutions.
“UNFPA is proud to support this initiative to empower young people by giving them the information, tools, and platforms for collaboration to become even more influential, productive actors in society,” said Miranda Tabifor, UNFPA representative.
“We applaud the finalist teams and assure them of our total support throughout the upcoming four months. We have lined up a team of experts to train and nurture them as innovative models to address sexual and reproductive health challenges in Uganda,” said Richard Zulu, Outbox team lead.
