Innovation: Africa and DeserTech are excited to launch their first challenge competition, bringing Israeli technology to rural villages in Africa.
DeserTech is an innovation community that promotes technologies that tackle the global desert challenges of: Extreme climate, Land degradation, Water scarcity & availability and remote and Marginal living.
Innovation: Africa is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring Israeli solar, water, and agricultural technologies to rural African villages.
Together, we believe we can tackle water challenges in rural Africa using Israeli innovation.
The winning technology will get a sponsored POC with Innovation: Africa.
The Challenge
Water Quality in Rural Africa
Innovation: Africa provides clean water to remote villages by drilling into the borehole and pumping water throughout the village. Each system is completely independent and functions fully on solar energy. In 2023 an additional 160 solar water pumping systems will be installed.
Water quality is crucial in providing safe drinking water to the village and the organization is looking for off-grid, low-maintenance Israeli technologies that can be incorporated into its independent water piping systems in the areas of:
Water Quality Monitoring
Solutions for measuring and monitoring the water quality in real time, detecting changes and contamination from a biological or chemical source
Water Disinfection and Treatment
Solutions that can purify or remove various elements from the water, such as microbiological contamination, metals, Nitrate and Fluoride
Groundwater Desalination
Solutions for effective brackish groundwater desalination and safe brine disposal. The typical groundwater salinity encountered in Innovation: Africa’s search for water is in a TDS range of 1,200 – 5,000 ppm.
What will Applicants Get?
CONNECTION.
This Challenge Competition gives you the opportunity to connect with a leading Israeli NGO which has successfully completed hundreds of clean water and energy projects across Africa. You will learn about the local ecosystem and its pain points.
MENTORSHIP.
The finalists will be mentored by top business and tech experts in iA, who will help with adapting and sharpening the solutions models and technologies to the field.
SPONSORED PILOT.
The winner will collaborate with Innovation: Africa in a joint POC in one country, with the potential for future implementations. The sponsored POC will be planned jointly with Innovation: Africa considering the nature of the solution, location, and the pre-determined objectives.
For more information about the POC funding read the: Rules & Conditions
Who Can Apply?
Any Israeli startup that can tackle one of the above challenges!
The Mentors
The Judging Committee
DeserTech is an Innovation Community that promotes the development, adaptation, and commercialization of technologies that enable sustainable living in arid climates, while simultaneously, turning Beer Sheva and the Negev region into a global entrepreneurial hub for these technologies. You can read more about the global desert challenges the Community address here.
The DeserTech community is a joint initiative of the Merage Foundation Israel, the Israel Innovation Institute, The Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Ben Gurion University.
Innovation: Africa is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring Israeli solar, water, and agricultural technologies to rural African villages. Since our establishment in 2008, Innovation: Africa has completed over 850 solar and water projects, providing solar energy and light to schools and medical centers, and pumping clean water in remote villages. The organization has impacted nearly 4 million people across 10 African countries including Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, eSwatini, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, and Senegal, and over the next 5 years, aims to undertake a comprehensive expansion plan and complete 1,200 projects to provide light and/or access to clean water to 10 million people.
Timeline
March 6th – April 3rd
Joint Pilot Planning with your mentors
April 18th
Winner Announcement!
March 5th
Finalists Announcement
April 3rd
Final Event at
Innovation: Africa’s HQ
June 2023
Expected Pilot
Installation