Deadline: 28-Feb-23
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, they believe they can tackle water challenges in rural Africa using Israeli innovation.
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.
Goals
- Identify innovative tech solutions to water quality challenges in Innovation: Africa off grid water systems, by reaching out to the Israeli ecosystem, and allocating solutions/ companies/ entrepreneurs that can potentially and practically address these challenges
- Promoting and positioning Innovation Africa in the Israeli ecosystem as a leader in clean water solutions to remote villages, for future potential collaborations.
Areas
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.
Benefits
The winning Applicants will collaborate with Innovation Africa in a joint POC in one country with the potential for future implementations. The POC will be planned jointly with Innovation: Africa taking into account the nature of the solution, location, and the pre- determined objectives. Innovation: Africa will fund a POC and will allocate reasonable physical and human resources for the benefit of the POC. This will include:
- Up to 5,000 USD to cover the cost of flights and stay of the winning company personnel for the purpose of installation of their technology in one of their projects
- Logistical support by Innovation: Africa personnel during installation (e.g., transportation to the pilot site, do the required preparation works in the site for easy and fast installation, etc.)
- Innovation: Africa personnel support in monitoring and solving technical problems during the pilot period.
- Permission to use the pilot for PR purposes.
What will the 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.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any Israeli startup that can tackle one of the above challenges!
- The Challenge is open to all persons and entities who are able to form legally binding contracts under applicable law. Applicants under 18 years of age must obtain their parent or guardian’s consent to submit an application.
For more information, visit DeserTech.
