Startup Scenes Growth. Node Eight leading the Nurturing in Ho.

In Ghana, there is a big push to get more young people involved in startups and entrepreneurship. It is due to their potential to be innovative and provide new solutions to old problems. But, starting a business as a startup can be a dire mission, especially for young people, due to the lack of the needed resources and experience.

For this reason, Ghana Tech Lab and Node Eight forged a partnership under the Pathways to Sustainable Employment Program of the Mastercard Foundation to offer a gateway for these young people through the Local Startup Summit. The chance to generate creative solutions to problems for their businesses for support. As a result, they have the opportunity to get their foot in the door of the startup world. Also, they can make notable differences and promote youth employment.

Scores of stakeholders from the public and private sectors in Ho converged to witness the startup summit. It was under the theme “The Role of eCommerce in Transforming the Local Economy for Job Creation and Economic Development.” Six teams in total pitched their startup ideas to the judges and audiences.

The teams and startup

Startup Team DAB

Exploring the Agric-tech sector of Ghana, their startup idea is Farm House. Farm House is an eCommerce platform for farmers and potential buyers or customers. The eCommerce platform will give access to a broader market for their farm products. So, reducing post-harvest losses and simultaneously increasing profits.

Startup Team Optimist

The next team pitched the startup idea on an online platform named Optimist. Optimist intends to promote Afrocentrism by building an eCommerce platform that sells a variety of African Artifacts. Their goal is to make these African artifacts accessible to all people across the globe in the long term.

Startup Team Amigos

Additionally, team Amigos pitched on the idea of Ozi. Ozi is a mobile application for grocery shopping for busy individuals. They also deliver it to the comfort of their homes. Due to time constraints, free your schedule by delegating your grocery shopping.

Startup Team SAT

SAT’s idea is Cando Rides. With the evolution of transportation in Ho, “Keke” or “Mahama Cando” has become a go-to means of transportation for residents due to its affordability. Cando Rides is a mobile application for Keke riders and customers. Commuters can find available Keke near them to promote easy accessibility.

Team Web Squad

Furthermore, Web Squad is with their idea on Visparts. Visparts is a mobile application to connect vehicle owners, spare parts sellers, and mechanics. Therefore, producing an avenue for easier accessibility of damaged spare parts and qualified mechanics for drivers.

Read about Node Eight’s #GreenCubator Program

Team Rebels

The final team is Rebels, with the health-tech idea Plus Health. Plus Health is an online platform for the aged and busy people to schedule and track their medications and hospital appointments helpfully. Also, with their current locations, they can find the nearest pharmacies to them.

Ultimately, the best ideas for the day were DAB with Farm House as the second runner-up. Followed closely by Rebels with Health Plus as the first runner-up, and Amigos emerging with Ozi as the overall winner. Continuing, these startups will begin the incubation stage of the program to build market-ready products.

In conclusion, Dr. Daniel Agbeko, Head of the TVet Unit of Ho Technical University, was the guest speaker for the event. In his Keynote Speaker Speech, in brief, he reminded the youth of the many opportunities surrounding them. However, they need to take advantage by creating business-worthy solutions. These solutions will enable the building of sustainable ventures using technology. It will ultimately promote the digitization of the local economy for sustainable growth.