Three Nigerian startups have joined 100 others globally selected by World Economic Forum to join its startup group for 2023. The statues are Alerzo which offerson-demand inventory distribution and financial services for small informal stores while also providing real-time market trends, customer feedback and other consumer-purchasing data to brands and manufacturers; Vendease, an online marketplace that allows restaurants and other food businesses to buy supplies straight from manufacturers and farms and Shuttlers Metropolitan Mobility a Tech-enabled scheduled mass-transit solutions for individuals and companies. Others picks on the continent are Dove Air South Africa; using advanced Urban Air Mobility technology for aid delivery and maritime conservation; Farmerline Ghana, an agtech start-up that provides information access, record-keeping services and communication to transform how farmers operate; Omnisient RF, South Africa creating a trust-by-design environment for businesses to collaborate on their first party data securely, quickly and easily while remaining compliant with consumer data privacy regulations; SunCulture Kenya; developing AgroSolar Irrigation Kit, an entirely solar-powered drip irrigation system, combining solar water pumping technology with high-efficiency drip irrigation.
The World Economic Forum in a statement said it “welcomes 100 innovative tech firms to its Technology Pioneers community. Comprising early-stage innovative tech start-ups, the 2023 cohort is forging new paths in healthcare, renewable energy and more through cutting-edge technologies. This year’s incoming cohort includes companies with a broad range of innovations. For example, Farmerline, from Ghana, connects farmers, agribusinesses and governments to form an end-to-end, holistic solution to the sector’s challenges. In Israel, Electriq Global is pioneering new methods of separating hydrogen from water to create a renewable energy alternative to fuel. CarbonCapture, from the United States, is removing CO2 from the atmosphere via direct air capture technologies.
“The 2023 cohort of Technology Pioneers is already bringing great changes to industries around the world,” said Verena Kuhn, Head of Innovator Communities, World Economic Forum. “Selectees are at the forefront of innovation and disruption needed to help us solve the world’s most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the Forum’s content work that brings together the public and private sector to tackle these global issues.” This year’s Technology Pioneer cohort includes start-ups from 31 economies, with a third led by a woman chief executive. The US has the highest representation, with 29 companies, followed by China with 12.
“Examples of innovation include: Sustainability ClimateAI, based in the US, applies artificial intelligence to climate risk modelling and its platform provides short- and long-term insights into weather and climate impact. Based in Switzerland, Transmutex aims to develop a non-self-sustaining chain reaction nuclear energy system able to produce carbon-free energy with the highest safety profile. Meanwhile, Huue, in the US, is using biotechnology to create sustainable dyes to reduce the use of chemicals in fashion supply chains. Healthcare: M20 Genomics, based in China, is developing single-cell sequencing technology to effectively diagnose diseases and provide relevant treatment. Dot, in the Republic of Korea, is a pioneer in smart technology for the vision-impaired and the deaf-blind, helping them to lead more independent lives.
“Advanced Manufacturing: Boston Materials, based in the US, develops advanced materials that are lightweight, corrosion-resistant and have energy-diffusion capabilities. Monolith, based in the UK, empowers engineering domain experts in various industries to reduce expensive, time-intensive testing and cut product development time. Following their selection as Technology Pioneers, this year’s companies will join a group of alumni that include many household names, such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia. The 2023 cohort will be invited to join Forum events and discussions throughout the year, bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sector”.
