Tshwane, Tuesday, February 06, 2023- The next cohort of emerging entrepreneurs are ready to take their place as leading technology innovators in business and science. The entrepreneurs stand a chance to win a share of R3 million in seed funding as well as an opportunity to be incubated at The Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) tasked with driving innovation in the Gauteng Province. The Innovation Hub in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation, and Tshwane Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) will be announcing 34 finalists for the 2022 flagship Gauteng Accelerator Programme (GAP) Innovation Competition.

Annually, The Innovation Hub invites researchers, innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs in the ICT, Biosciences, Medical, Green Economy, and township economy sectors to propose novel technologies with the potential to fundamentally improve the lives of many South Africans.

After months of in-depth skills training sessions, successful candidates will receive invaluable business strategy support, mentorship, and start-up funding from The Innovation Hub and its vast team of industry experts. The winners will be announced on Friday, 10 February 2023 at a hybrid event that will be hosted at The Innovation Hub Conference Venue and virtually .

“Through countless hours of close work and training with chosen few, we can ensure that the businesses that graduate from the programme have the necessary momentum and resilience to not only survive but to thrive in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive economic climate.

This year’s candidates have gone above and beyond what was asked of them, having unveiled a good number of game-changing concepts which we’re excited to see grow with us in the coming years. With proper support and incubation services from The Innovation Hub, these start-ups have the capacity to grow into industry giants,” says The Innovation Hub’s Acting CEO Nothile Mpisi

“TIA is proud and delighted to, once again, partner with The Innovation Hub to implement one of the prestigious competitions, the GAP Innovation Competition initiative which is now celebrating 12 years of excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation.  An important factor in bridging the innovation chasm is the continuous establishment of collaborations and partnerships within the National System of Innovation such as we have with the Innovation Hub in the GAP programme.

“Governments in the global north are shifting their developmental agenda from aid, towards trade. Within this trend is the belief that technology, innovation and entrepreneurship can have a profound impact on the economic transformation of a country. TIA, has collaborated with the Emory University and TIH for the past decade in implementing the GAP Programme, focusing on youth and women in marginalised communities in SA in the bioeconomy sector, ultimately strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through best practice in the bioeconomy sector, “says Ms Senisha Moonsamy, Head: Innovation Skills Enterprise Development &GCIP-SA at TIA.

TASEZ CEO Dr Bheka Zulu says small businesses particularly in the automotive sector can help by coming up with new innovative ideas that will contribute not only to the target of eliminating fossil fuels but also making the sector more competitive, opening new export markets, and creating world-class technology.

He says: “small, medium, and micro-enterprises you are the engine of economic growth in South Africa. It is SMMEs that will provide more employment opportunities and drive innovation in our country.”

TASEZ will be sponsoring not only the Gauteng Accelerator Township Economy Award but also an accolade to recognise the contribution of innovation by small companies to the automotive sector. 

The Gauteng Accelerator Programme entrepreneurs of 2022

A handful of finalists were carefully chosen for each of The Innovation Hub’s five business incubation programmes. These incubation programmes include Maxum Business Incubator that focuses on the smart industries sector such as the ICT and cyber security, the Climate Innovation Centre South Africa, which searches for innovative solutions in the green economy sector, Biopark@Gauteng focuses on health, agro-processing, and biopharmaceuticals, and eKasiLabs that promotes entrepreneurship and a culture of innovation in Gauteng townships.

To learn more about the finalists, kindly click here GAP Profiles 2022 Finalists

The finalist in the ICT Category are: 

• PasswordKid Safety: Is Africa’s largest child safety focussed company that offers advanced child safety technologies for concerned parents.
• Power Tools: It is an automated Power Tools to be used at eKasi communities for mass production
• Tap and Go- It is a payment system that will play a major role in the payment system market, it is low on transaction fee, high security and uses USSD code.
• E-Spaneng- A virtual workspace platform that facilitate an ecology of higher education and training (HET) who needs to complete their in service training. The platform also assist small businesses and graduates navigate the business world.
• ILM- The system automatically monitors the electricity demand nationwide, reduces demand to match the power availability and prevent productivity from being affected.
• Integrated Maps AND Livestock Tracking System- The innovation create property identity for township and rural community in the form of an integrated mapping system that essential services and courier companies can use to find addresses easier.
• Uni Tap: Develops a tap ‘n go payment system with low transaction fees, a high level of security, and does not need to be connected to a bank.

 The finalists in the Biosciences category are:

• WITS Biodegradable- Nerve Repair: The conduits promote the regeneration of injured nerves via the provision of sustained delivery of neurotrophic growth factors and drugs for the survival of neuronal cells.
• Trichome Technologies: The technology is based on the green chemistry, sustainable and cost-effective enzymatic conversion of cannabinoids via a conceptual CANNACONVERTER.
• IGagasi Biotech: The technology involves development of IgY antibodies from chicken yolk for use in the detection of infectious diseases, research antibodies and eventually therapeutics biologics.
• UJ Phyto- D: The technology relates to a method of extracting a phytoconstituents of warburgia salutaris for use in the treatment of diabetes.
• UJ- HP Vaccine- The technology involves isolation of neutralizing antibodies from vaccine immunised individuals. The purified antibodies can de administered to clients with HPV as a therapeutic target for cancer of the cervix.

Finalists in the GAP Medical Category are:

• AI Diagnostic: The solution is a TB Diagnostic tool that analyses digital stethoscope recordings to accurately indicate whether the patient should be sent for further TB bacteriological confirmation testing or not.
• 4^th AI Holdings: An artificial intelligence Prosthetic hand/arm that is embedded with special built-in software and carefully designed human-like joints.
• Gideon Inno Textiles: The technology uses polymer yarn that produces a cost-effective fabric for use in hospital textiles based on proprietary bi component fibres that can store and slowly release the essential oil as a natural antimicrobial agent.
• AI-Powered Health Software: The technology uses algorithms to arrive at correct diagnosis empowered by artificial intelligence to assist primary healthcare workers.
• CXC Biosciences: The technology developed is novated that is used to repairs tendons and ligaments in vivo. It uses the principles of stem cell signalling to repair common defects in the body through tissue regeneration.

The finalists in the GAP Township Economy Category are:

• Coudio- Chilli Coudio Box is literally a cooler box that is specifically designed to fit into a car. It consists of a speaker producing different types of audios: (music, FM radio) through different.
• Stayy- workspace to assist small businesses and graduates navigate the business world.
• Content Aesthetics: Content Aesthetic that produces environmentally friendly cosmetics packaging by the incorporation of bamboo in their packaging.
• Reslocate: The technology is an interactive platform that finds credible students housing and economic opportunities for students enrolled in institutions of higher learning through artificial intelligence.
• Noble Investment Ideas | UnisonPay: A business2 business transaction platform that enables SME’s to transact with their suppliers without having to use either cash as a means of trade.
• Cotto love – Produces exceptional and hygienic reusable sanitary pada with antimicrobial technology that kills bacteria and fungi.
• Flory health and Beauty: Skin Care product that uses plant extract of Aloe Vera that contains vitamins , minerals and peptides

Finalists in the Green Economy category

• Technological Plumbing Solutions – It is innovative wastewater and water management system app The App will be used by field sanitation workers to get notifications and submit job cards and the public will report any plumbing risk related.
• Botle Sanitary Towels- Reusable sanitary pad.  | Its eco-friendly and reduces waste.
• Agang Bokamoso Farms- They have designed a pipe system that allows the plant to have access to water continuously even when the irrigation system is off due to power shortages or pump failure. Demonstration and commercialisation of Hydroponic Planter. The system can go up to three days without water or electricity.
• Ikigai Gen (Pty) Ltd | - Black soldier fly maggot farm created to primarily eradicate organic waste management via maggot farming to landfills and create cheaper high protein feed for livestock farmers. Black soldier flies are special because they do not carry diseases, so they are friendly to keep around as they do not have mouths.
• Purity Pipe- Small sophisticated system that provides instant water purification. It also aims to save water by notifying the user incase of any leakages.
• Imperative Energy Group- They developed a cutting-edge CO2 capturing technologies that turn all buildings and facilities into carbon sinks thus making the green buildings and increasing their ESG score and access to green financing.
• Decorsolar- The innovation changes the outdoors and backyard DIY decors such as rotating washing lines, garden statues, hanging planters, outdoor lanterns and ornaments into solar energy generating. They combine outdoors decorations DIYs with solar panel to give them ability to store electricity for dark times and keeping the backyard beautiful.
• Yacht Properties - The technology focuses on rainwater harvesting, recycling used salon & dry cleaning water and turn that into fresh reusable water. They collect water from commercial properties because of the large-scale roofing.
• Enertia Meadow Pty Ltd- The innovation uses cryogenic engineering techniques to recover, carry, store, and distribute energy, although it is best suited to assist or replace existing compressed air systems.
• SA Rebuilders| - Recycle of Bricks. SA Rebuilders aims to provide services to the various informal settlements within South Africa; so that the community can use their own Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) to create Recycled Bricks that can be used to build themselves low-cost homes.

This year’s winners will share R3 million in seed funding, receive additional cash prizes, and receive access to The Innovation Hub’s incubation services, mentors, intellectual property lawyers, as well as industry and government partners going forward.

Visit:

www.theinnovationhub.africa

For more information, please contact:

Linah Nematandani

Acting General Manager: Marketing and Communications

lnematandani@theinnovationhub.com

(+27) 12 844 0030/ (+27) 71 673 9964

Twitter: @InnovHub

Facebook: InnovhubZA

About The Innovation Hub

The Innovation Hub is a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA). As the innovation agency of the Gauteng province, it is responsible for managing Africa’s first internationally accredited Science and Technology Park of the same name and is a full member of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP).

Strategically located in Tshwane, South Africa's executive capital in the ‘smart’ province of Gauteng, The Innovation Hub implements initiatives identified in the Gauteng Innovation Strategy and Green Economy strategy to advance the economic development and growth of the province through innovation. 

The Innovation Hub has created unique spaces in Tshwane and the rest of the Gauteng province for high-tech entrepreneurs, world-class businesses, academics, researchers and venture capitalists to meet, network and prosper.

For more information visit www.theinnovationhub.africa

About GGDA

The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED). GGDA is the implementing arm of the GDED and assists the department in leading, facilitating and managing sustainable job creation and inclusive economic growth and development in the Gauteng City Region.