Our company has organized four phases of innovation contests for innovators in cloud-based digital solutions and mobile finance sectors through an initiative called the Ethiotel Innovation Program aimed at promoting and supporting indigenous technologies and entrepreneurship by offering various training opportunities to start-up digital and financial technology businesses and professionals in our country.
On the occasion of the Ethiopian New Year, our company allocated over 5.6 million birr in cash and in-kind prizes for the winners of the Ethiotel Innovation Program Contest. Among the twenty contestants, the top three winners with the most creative ideas were presented with cash prizes and were also granted full sponsorship, including tickets and hotel accommodations, for a trip to China. This opportunity will enable them to engage in the exchange of ideas and experiences related to startups. Furthermore, all twenty participants were awarded prizes such as cash rewards, laptops, smartphones, and access to Tele cloud services and package offers, each based on their respective rankings. In this innovation competition, Aiotech Solutions, Wecare, and Gizuf Digital emerged as winners with their innovative ideas. Aiotech Solutions competed with the Guard/ZEBEGNA Solution, a vehicle security and deployment management tool offering an all-in-one solution for car travel, ride-hailing, and logistics services. It features GPS tracking, 24/7 fuel monitoring, and advanced vehicle deployment management capabilities. This technology solution enhances user safety by allowing them to control their vehicles through mobile GPS tracking.WeCare’s solutions startup idea is an online platform that connects patients with licensed healthcare professionals and consultants, eliminating the need for physical visits. Through a convenient app and website, users can easily access medical advice from the comfort of their homes.
Gizuf Digital’s Afro-Read is a mobile digital book and audiobook platform that aims to make Ethiopian literature more accessible by offering authors a user-friendly digital publishing and distribution platform. It enables literary works to reach a wide audience, both locally and globally.
Out of 439 applicants for this creative competition, 44 qualified contestants were selected, with 21 of them attending the training organized by our company. These 21 contestants advanced to the second phase, where they presented their creative ideas in detail and were evaluated by the judges, receiving prizes based on their performance. Beyond the awards, Ethio telecom will partner with the winner, investing in their business to help them scale up. Additionally, it will develop a go-to-market strategy to sell the winner’s products through its sales channels, along with providing promotion and communication support.
In the time ahead, as the designer of this innovation program and a key player in the ecosystem, our company, in collaboration with partners, will provide facilities to incubate, train, and empower startups and tech entrepreneurs. This will help create a competitive national capacity, establish innovation and co-creation platforms, and foster an enabling environment for the digital ecosystem. We will also support projects that address social challenges and promote social development alongside our partners, thereby positively impacting the growth of the digital ecosystem and advancing the nation’s initiative to become a startup hub on the continent.
September 9, 2024
Ethio telecom