Pioneering Sustainable AI: The 9th Gen AI Community Meetup.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surged in popularity over recent years, becoming a base of innovation for countless startups and businesses. As more industries integrate AI into their operations, it's crucial to consider the sustainability of these technologies and address the growing concern of energy consumption.

The 9th Gen AI Meetup, focused on "Sustainable AI: Energy-Efficient Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery," was a success. This meetup was brought to life by partnership of Neurotech Africa, pristech, Brocken Technologies, Stanbic Biashara Incubator and Daven. Participants dived into cutting-edge AI techniques and their applications in creating sustainable solutions, emphasizing the need to balance innovation with energy efficiency.

Presented by an expert in software engineering and applied AI & machine learning, Prof. Niklas Lavesson the session offered valuable insights:

• AI systems simulate cognitive work, with machine learning being a key component.

• The learning phase is the most energy-intensive part of AI, highlighting the importance of energy-efficient practices.

Environmental sustainability in AI can range from green machine learning on embedded devices, prioritizing battery life, to optimizing large-scale cloud-based systems.

Key takeaways included:

• Establishing generic energy models and specific profiling for efficiency improvements.

• Emphasizing the importance of code-specific and data-related approaches to reduce energy consumption.

• Addressing the high energy demands of generative AI and large language models (LLMs), and exploring solutions for training, local fine-tuning, and usage.

• As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it's imperative to prioritize sustainable practices to avoid energy gaps and ensure that technological advancements contribute positively to our global energy footprint.

The meetup was proceeded with presentation from Steven Manangu, ML Researcher on how to optimize AI models for low-end and mobile devices and presentation from Daven.ai.

Tanzania Roadshow for the Innovation Managers Executive Learning Program.

On 28th June 2024, the second of three roadshows for the Innovation Managers Executive Learning Program (IMELP) was held in Dar es salaam. The event was attended by inspiring and aspiring innovation managers and industry leaders to learn more about how innovation managers are shaping the future of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem through a panel discussion with three key speakers: Jumanne Mtambalike (Sahara Ventures), Kai Mollel (Stanbic Bank Tanzania) and Timothy Maenda (StartHub Africa).

IMELP is a 12-week, module-based initiative designed to empower aspiring innovation managers and Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESO) leaders with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to drive success. The initiative is focused on three main areas: Comprehensive skill development tailored for hub management roles, Insights into effective innovation strategies and practices and Networking opportunities with industry leaders and peers.

The targeted audience for the program includes aspiring innovation managers, newcomers to the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, corporate innovation leaders, career changers, university graduates, and university-led hub managers.

You can learn more about the program here: Innovation Managers Executive Learning Program

Launch of AYuTe Africa Challenge 2024.

Sahara Ventures and Heifer Tanzania officially launched the AYuTe Africa Challenge, which offers a total of USD 25,000 in prizes to young Tanzanian agritech innovators aiming to boost farmer’s productivity and income.

The Challenge is focused on the innovative agriculture and technology ideas with potential to address value chain challenges faced in crop production, livestock, fisheries, forest and natural resources management in the country.

We look forward to this challenge and learn of innovative solutions in agriculture from brilliant Tanzanian young minds.

Having an innovative idea in agriculture and technology? This opportunity is for you!

The call for applications is open until July 14th 2024.

For more information, please visit AYuTe Africa Challenge 

Boost for Tanzanian E-Pharmacy: Dawa Mkononi Secures Key R&D Funding

Dawa Mkononi, a Tanzanian B2B pharmaceutical company, has secured financial backing from Villgro Africa and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) through the Research and Development (R&D) Vouchers program.

The R&D Impact Vouchers Project aims to foster collaboration between early-stage companies and public research organizations in low and middle-income countries. By supporting business-led research projects, the initiative strives to enhance the quality of products and services for low-income markets and help companies anticipate and overcome technical and operational challenges.

Through this program, Dawa Mkononi will receive a CAD 50,000 grant, which will be disbursed to the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). This grant will support the project "Empowering Healthcare Access and Financing Through E-Pharmacy Solutions: A Case Study of Dawa Mkononi in Tanzania’s Emerging Market."

The study aims to provide a comprehensive landscape mapping of e-pharmacy in Tanzania, document the operationalization of Dawa Mkononi, identify challenges and opportunities, and assess client satisfaction and impact. This research will offer valuable insights to inform Dawa Mkononi’s business strategy, expand market reach, and enhance service quality.

Think Like Investor : The perfect Pitch Deck by Investor @ GoHUB Ventures

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Funding opportunities 🎇🎇🎇

D-Prize Grant 

The startup grants of up to $20,000 are awarded to entrepreneurs launching new organizations. The Grant is driven by the belief that the world needs more social impact organizations, and they seed for-profit ventures, NGOs, and charities. Organizations in any low-or-middle income country where extreme poverty still exists are supported. 

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and problem solver, apply to D-Prize by July 14. You can also request an extended deadline to submit your application by August 4!

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program 

For women-owned or led businesses that re social enterprises supporting women’s economic empowerment, climate resilience, or both, and have at least $20K in income. Deadline: August 15, 2024. 

Harambeans Fellowship

Derived from Harambee — Swahili for working together towards a common purpose — the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance got its start in 2008. Harambeans are African innovators who have pledged “to work together as one” to unlock the potential of Africa and over the last decade, they have spawned a series of tech-enabled ventures. Deadline: September 30, 2024

SDG Digital GameChangers Award

The 2nd edition of the SDG Digital GameChangers Award is here to honor organizations making strides towards rescuing the Global Goals through digital innovation. The award ceremony will take place during SDG Digital Futures on 20 September 2024.

Submit your innovative solutions, demonstrate practical applications, and showcase how digital can help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is a prime opportunity to gain recognition for your work and secure funding to propel your projects forward.

ACT Foundation Changemakers Innovation Challenge 2024 🌍✨

This is an exciting opportunity for non-profits and social enterprises across Africa to showcase their innovative solutions leveraging technology and digital tools to create social change.

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