Posted Tue, Apr 21, 2020 2:19 AM

The Covid-19 Startup Challenge: Creating Innovators and Solving Problems

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and ventures platform recently hosted a startup challenge for young and innovative inventors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a means of finding better ways of testing,  reporting and eradicating the Coronavirus. 

The NESG as a responsive private sector-led think tank is desirous of finding solutions to halt the spread of the virus and also using technology to improve testing and people's responsiveness to the Covid-19 virus.  This necessitated our partnership with Ventures Platform to give start-ups a chance to solve the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has created.

A lot of budding start-ups submitted their applications and at the end of a rigorous screening process, 7 startups presented their solutions via Zoom online video conferencing. The seven startup ideas are described below:

1. Wellvis, presented a  COVID TRIAGE TOOL - a simple online self-administered risk-assessment tool for assessing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 with a symptom logger for remote monitoring by a clinician. The Wellvis “COVID-19 Triage Tool”, is a web and USSD based tool designed using the official case definition of the NCDC.

2. GloEpid by Prunedge is a technology solution focused on contact tracing, resource management, self-assessment and reporting. GloEpid is expected to aid the quick identification of individuals with a high probability of having being infected by COVID-19, deploy medical resource for identification and testing, tracking of locations and other people high risk or confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been in contact with as well as disseminate guidance information relating to COVID-19 – all with a view to being able to contain the spread of COVID-19.

3. Infodemics.com which is developed by Ingenia Nigeria limited  is a web based platform that harnesses technological prowess to disseminate real-time information, advice and opinions between experts and people facing threats to their health, economic or social well-being irrespective of their location and social status.

4. Drive by Caselink is a case management system designed for bodies authorised to take charge in managing resource allocation to COVID 19 management. It will help professionals  have an overhead view of the available resources and allocate them according to needs. It includes a triage and a resource management tool.

5. MyServiceAgent is an AI-powered IVR (interactive voice response) system which can communicate with 100s to 1000s of inbound and outbound callers simultaneously and intelligently.

6. Covid-19 ng is a technology Platform that allows for multi-stakeholder collaboration and disease tracing.

7. CMAPIT ANALYTICS is a platform that will use GIS and data analysis to analyze data variables concerning the corona virus outbreak so that predictions and accurate results can be gotten to help fight the pandemic.

Winners will be announced soon.