This Week In Tanzanian Startup 🔥🔥

African Youth in AI and Robotics Competition 2024.

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Deals & Close Ups 🤑🤑

Five Tanzanian projects have been selected as finalists among the top 30 in the 2024 African Youth in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AYAIR) competition. These innovative projects include:

• Tokomeza PPR, 

• Suluhu-Agrobots, which uses microcontroller technology to enhance agricultural productivity, 

• Future of Interactive Robotics, 

• Tanzania Multi-purpose Agricultural project,

• Mkono-1.

This is the inaugural edition of the AYAIR competition, which attracted 1,008 submissions from across Africa. Organized by the African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the competition aims to identify, nurture, and empower African youth aged 15 to 35 in the fields of AI and robotics.

The competition features ten categories: AI and Innovation in Mining, Futuristic FinTech Solution, Robotics Design, Healthcare Solutions, Education Enhancement, Ethical AI, Agricultural Solutions, Community Impact and Good Governance Innovation, an Open Category, and Innovation in the Construction and Architecture industry.

The event will culminate in a final showcase and awards ceremony from October 13 to 17 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. After the competition, the finalists will have the opportunity to develop their projects further through incubation at the Ele-vate AI Innovation Hub. 

For more information about the AYAIR competition, visit Ele-vate AI Africa.

Startup Spotlight🌟🌟

Tausi – Bridging the Finance Gap for Africa’s Informal Economy.

• Nearly 83% of employment in Africa and 85% in Sub-Saharan Africa is informal.

• Informal economy contribute between 25 and 65 percent of GDP Sub-Saharan Africa economy.

Have You Ever Wondered Why Access to Credit Remains So Limited in Africa’s Informal Economy?

Why do millions of small businesses and individuals still struggle to get loans, despite their immense potential? The problem isn't just about risk—it's about outdated systems that fail to recognize real opportunities.

Tausi is bringing the gap of financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa by unlocking access to credit for the informal economy. With a bold mission to close the $700 billion finance gap, Tausi leverages advanced data analytics, AI, and machine learning to develop market-fit financial products that empower millions of small businesses and individuals.

By deploying cutting-edge credit risk scoring algorithms, Tausi’s Embedded and Open Financing Solutions enable financial service providers to make informed lending decisions and expand access to credit where traditional methods fall short.

Through strategic partnerships with banks, microfinance institutions, mobile network operators, and fintechs, Tausi seamlessly integrates tailored financial products into existing networks. .

This week, Tausi’s co-founder, Derick Kazimoto, took the stage at Startup Grind Dar hosted at Stanbic Biashara Incubator to share how they are changing the game in credit accessibility through innovative AI strategies.

Community Highlights 🔥🔥

11th Gen AI Community Meetup Discussion on AI Agents.

FoodHack DarFoodHack Meetups Dar Es Salaam.

The first FoodHack Meetup in Dar es Salaam hosted a BlueTech Connect event, drawing a diverse group of entrepreneurs, professionals, and innovators passionate about the future of seaweed, aquaculture, and FoodTech. Led b y Foodhack Dar Ambassador Seth Mkisi, the gathering held at the MTI Investment Hub, aimed to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing around the rapidly evolving Blue Economy.

Speakers at the event included Arnold Shoko, Bertha Nanyaro, Advocate Shamim Wasii Nyanda, and Martha, who shared their expertise on various topics such as climate tech, legal challenges, and new financing models for businesses in the sector. Their presentations raised a discussions and offered fresh perspectives on harnessing the potential of the Blue Economy to drive sustainable growth.

Huawei and Vodacom Launch Solar-Powered DigiTruck in Tanzania.

Huawei and Vodacom Tanzania have launched the DigiTruck initiative, a solar-powered mobile classroom, to equip students, women, the elderly, and youth across 10 regions in Tanzania with digital skills and bridge the digital gap. 

The launch of DigiTruck follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in February 2024 between Vodacom Tanzania and Huawei, an agreement that outlines plans for collaboration in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), engagement for startup acceleration, and promoting digital skills in Tanzania. 

What is the DigiTruck? 

The DigiTruck is simply a temporary digital school. It is a container that has been converted into a mobile digital classroom. Inside the compartment, a digital space with smart devices like laptops, LED screens, virtual reality (VR) headsets, smartphones, and routers has been set up. In the truck, students can use the smartphones and laptops to learn internet skills with the help of wireless broadband access. The VR equipment also allows more innovative educational tools to be incorporated into the classroom. The entire truck is solar-powered to enable classes being conducted even in remote areas without electricity. 

The initiative is part of Huawei’s commitment to digital inclusion through the TECH4ALL program, which aims to drive equity and quality in education to benefit Tanzania’s remote communities and underserved groups. Tanzania joins other 18 countries currently benefitting from the same initiative. The mobile classroom will travel across the country in two years and bring digital skills to underserved communities regardless of their physical location.

This initiative is in hand with the Tanzania’s national strategy for developing digital economy so as to equip the next generation with digital skills and access quality education—thus, laying a foundation for them to strive in the fast-paced and changing world. 

Event Highlights 🌟🌟

Women in Innovation & Tech Mixer

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