Husk Technologies Wins 100k Grand Prize Of Maiden NEIP National Innovation Challenge
Ghanaian indigenous Start-Up, Husk Technologies led by John Arday Ardayfio on Wednesday 20th December 2023, won the ultimate grand prize of GHC100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis) funding at the climax of the maiden National Innovation Challenge (NIC) organised by the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme (NEIP) at the Accra Digital Centre.
Husk Technologies emerged as the winner among 9 other finalists.
Husk Tecnologies is an agritech company that provides hardware manufacturing for the cocoa industry.
Its maiden product is an automated mobile cocoa pod breaking machine that is designed to relieve cocoa farmers from labour stress and post-harvest losses.
The panel of judges was thrilled by amazing ideas, innovations as well as the overall delivery and presentations of all the 10 contestants.
The top 10 contestants had been camped together at the Accra Digital Centre since Monday, to engage with the judges as well as top business mentors and entrepreneurship trainers.
Nullwood Fabrications led by Abigail Boadu emerged as the second and took home a cash cheque of GHC70,000 (Seventy Thousand Ghana Cedis) while Smart Code Academy's Senyogbe Agbomabiese took the third position and a cash cheque of GHC50,000 (Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis).
Below is the Full List of the 10 Winners:
1st John Arday Ardayfio---Husk Technologies
2nd Abigail Boadu----Nullwood Fabrications
3rd Senyogbe Agbomabiese----Smart Code Academy
4th David Arkoh----Leta Agronova
5th Aboagye Theophilus---Age Engineering
6th Linda Lariba---Hope Givers Company Limited
7th Ella Oduom & Paul Mensah---Smart Farm
8th Ismaila Ayiku & Isaac Eshun---Coastal Animation Studios
It would be recalled that the National Innovation Challenge was launched in September this year.
After some months of pitching and mentorship, the competition shortlisted the top 10 innovations to benefit from various funding rewards.
The NIC targeted the best 10 innovations and business ideas geared towards supporting innovative and new Ghanaian entrepreneurs right from scratch.
The NIC is also meant among other things to expose new entrepreneurship innovations and ideas to funding opportunities.
NEIP continues to demonstrate its socio-economic commitment to national development by living up to its core mandate of providing business development services, startup incubators, and funding for young businesses, new innovations, and ideas in order to help them become a full-blown success.
NEIP, since its inception, has promoted economic growth and job creation by supporting business ideas, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, which in turn have immensely led to the creation of new jobs and the growth of industries.
These interventions, undoubtedly, have had some positive boomerang effects on the overall economy under His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Addressing the winners after the event, the Deputy CEO of NEIP, Miss Abigail Swad Laryea, commended all 10 winners and encouraged them to continue to inspire and do more than even what the competition demanded.
"I would like to say Congratulations to all the 10 winners. We launched the National Innovation Challenge one very simple reason to boost entrepreneurship among Ghanaian youth.
...This is why we always welcome ideas and innovations from all quarters. Our doors are always open so come and let's see what you have so that we can support you to develop your dream concepts," she said.
In an interview with the media, the winner John Arday Ardayfio thanked the entire leadership of NEIP, the judges, as well as the trainers and all stakeholders for the big opportunity.
"This GHC100,000 funding is indeed a giant leap for us at Husk Technologies and we are very grateful indeed to NEIP and its partners for such an opportunity," he emphasized.
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