Sell harvest, an agritech solution by Team Software Chasers emerges winner of the first Microsoft Agro-Tech Hackathon in Nigeria. The team wins two and a half million Naira as prize money, mentorship and technical support from Microsoft. It will also join the Microsoft Global Social Entrepreneurship program to develop into a unicorn.
Microsoft Agro-Tech Hackathon NG is an initiative of the Microsoft African Transformation Office (ATO) in partnership with Sterling Bank, Ted Prime Hub and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). To identify and develop sustainable and inclusive digital solutions for agro-products and services in Nigeria.
Microsoft says seventy thousand Nigerians applied to participate in the hackathon. With two thousand being shortlisted for the first phase of the hackathon. Which was then filtered down to fifty and then thirty teams. The teams went through virtual skill-up sessions on technology and cloud services, emerging issues on agricultural value chain process, start-up ecosystem and idea scaling and product testing.
The final event featured 10 solutions by teams from Abuja, Benue, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Sokoto states competing for the top three positions. Farmsquare came in second winning N1.5million while third place winner Farmers’ Market got N1 million.
Olatomiwa Williams, Microsoft Country Manager Nigeria and Ghana affirmed Microsoft’s commitment to working with both the private and public sectors to accelerate digital transformation in African agriculture. As well as harnessing the potential of the youth by helping support homegrown start-ups in critical sectors.
Muhammad Mukhtar, Albany Muhammad, and Sa’adu Abubakar of Team Software Chasers expressed their delight in the product development experience. They added, “It has been an interesting journey with wide experiences from varying degrees”.
Watch the Microsoft Agro-Tech Hackathon grand finale
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We bring you a list of the 2022 Microsoft Partner of the year country award winners from across Africa. The announcement comes ahead of Microsoft Inspire 2022 where Microsoft will celebrate exemplary achievements from across its global partner ecosystem. The 2022 Microsoft Inspire partner event is set to take place July 19-20 as a free global digital event.
Microsoft uses the partner award to recognize outstanding partner accomplishments within its community. Highlighting organizations building new and innovative solutions for their customers using Microsoft technologies. This year, the company received over three thousand nine hundred entries from one hundred and twenty-six countries. Across categories including, partner competencies, cloud-to-edge technologies, entrepreneurial spirit and social impact.
Below are Microsoft Partner Africa winners from the country and region category.
2022 Microsoft Partner Africa award winners – country category
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TECNO mobile is announcing its latest premium smartphones with four new devices in the Camon 19 series. They are TECNO Camon 19, Camon 19 Neo, Camon 19 Pro and Camon 19 Pro 5G. The company will however make other variants available for other markets. To mark the launch it held a global event in New York City as it seeks to break into new markets and produce high-end devices.
With the Camon 19 Series, TECNO is focusing on improvements to the body design, performance and camera. Introducing new innovations starting with an ultraslim 0.98mm thin bezel that gives you more screen space. It also introduces a dual-ring triple-camera layout design and RGBW camera sensor + Glass technology. Which promises brilliant portrait photography in challenging low-light and nighttime conditions. TECNO says it will make Android 13 beta available on its latest CAMON 19 Pro 5G.
The company is also introducing TECNO Wallet, a payment wallet and finance app built for its devices and integrated into the CAMON 19 series of phones. TECNO Wallet will allow users to make easy and secure payments for a range of services including money transfers, airtime, data, bills, and shopping.
Pricing for the TECNO Camon 19 will vary by region and they will become available in markets by late June. The 8GB+256GB Camon 19 Pro will retail at $280. The 8GB+256GB Camon 19 Pro 5G will retail at $320. Check out the full device specifications and country-specific prices of the new TECNO Camon 19 Series below. The devices are available at TECNO accredited shops at the following prices:
In Ghana: CAMON 19 (128+4 GB)- GHS 1,490, CAMON 19 (128+6 GB)- GHS 1,699, CAMON 19 Pro (256+8 GB) – GHS 2,250 and CAMON 19 Pro 5G (256+8GB) – GHS 2,715.
Prices in Kenya: Camon 19 (128+4 GB) – Ksh 23,499, Camon 19 Pro (256+8 GB) – Ksh 33,799 and Camon 19 Pro 5G (256+8 GB) – Ksh 41,599.
Camon 19 Prices in Nigeria: Camon 19 (128+6 GB) – NGN 125,000, Camon 19 Pro (256+8 GB) – NGN 166,000 and Camon 19 Pro 5G (256+8 GB) -NGN 198,500.
TECNO Camon 19 Series Device Specs
TECNO Camon 19 specifications
OS – Android 12, HIOS 8.6
Display – 6.8-inch (1080×2460), FHD Display
Dimensions – 166.63 x 74.37 x 8.30 mm
Processor – MediaTek Helio G85 Octa-Core
RAM – 4/6GB
Storage – 128GB
Front Selfie camera – 16MP w/ dual flash
Rear Main camera – 64MP + 2MP + AI Cam, Quad Flash
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Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Microsoft is promising its commitment to working with both the private and public sectors to accelerate digital transformation in African agriculture in order to increase food security for the continent.
Speaking during a virtual roundtable panel discussion on the topic, Microsoft Kenya Acting Country Manager Kunle Awosika said the organisation is committed to continuing investing in agritech on the continent, with the goal of developing agritech that enables data-driven, precise and connected farming that optimises yields, boosts farm productivity and increases profitability.
“We understand that these important issues will not be solved by one company, but through partnerships with the private sector and our partners in government for maximum impact and benefit to the farmers of Africa,” he said.
Speaking at the same forum, ATO Coordinator, Agriculture Transformation Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Thule Lenneiye, said: “Through partnerships such as the one with Microsoft, we can offer our smallholder farmers valuable services that help them modernize and digitize age-old farming practices, increasing productivity and boosting food security for our communities and country.”
One way in which agritech changes the face of agriculture is through democratising information. In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Microsoft is investing in the Kenyan National Agriculture Platform as a key initiative to drive digitalization in agriculture. As part of this investment, a developer team based in Kenya has developed an Agri chatbot, which provides extension and advisory services to smallholder farmers using either feature phones or smartphones, via SMS, WhatsApp and Telegram.
The AgriBot provides a key platform that farmers can use to access all the relevant information from the Ministry of Agriculture and other government institutions, as well as services from the private sector. These services are invaluable to the over 400,000 farmers already on the platform who would otherwise not have access to such a resource.
Olatomiwa Williams, Microsoft Country Manager Nigeria and Ghana speaking at the forum said the organization is working with stakeholders to identify and develop sustainable and inclusive digital solutions for agro-products and services that seamlessly connect farmers, customers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem. Importantly to improve the economic situation of farmers in Nigeria.
Microsoft also recently announced that it is extending its partnership with the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The initial collaboration between the two organizations started in 2019 when Microsoft and AGRA co-created the AgriBot as a digital solution for localized extension and advisory services for smallholder farmers.
The new phase of the relationship will promote digital innovation and technology as an enabler to connect the agriculture ecosystems, sustainably integrating stakeholders in the service of strategic value chains.
“Our partnership with AGRA forms part of Microsoft’s ongoing investment in agritech across the continent as we support digital transformation in the sector. We’re excited to continue building locally relevant technology solutions that address the local farmers’ needs and deliver meaningful impact,” added Kunle.
On his part, John Macharia, AGRA Kenya Country Manager, said: “At AGRA, we realized early on that digital innovation is critical in advancing food security and poverty eradication in Africa. Our partnership with Microsoft will directly support governments, SMEs and farmers, by bringing the digital tools needed to build resilient food systems.”
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GreenHouse Capital is announcing that 13 pre-series A startups will be joining the Microsoft Scale-up Accelerator program. They will get access to technology, skilling programs and an opportunity to co-sell with Microsoft. As well as support from Microsoft engineering and product teams for co-innovation opportunities. The startups are from Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania and feature six male and seven female founders.
The scale-up accelerator program is a partnership program between GreenHouse Capital and Microsoft. It seeks to provide startups with technology infrastructure, technical skills, and funding to enable them rapidly launch in new markets.
In March this year, Microsoft announced new initiatives under its Africa Transformation Office (ATO) to accelerate the growth of startups in Africa and fast-track investment in Africa’s startup ecosystem. By supporting African startups with $500 million in potential funding. It also plans to accelerate the growth of 10,000 African startups over the next five years by partnering with accelerators, tech hubs and incubators across Africa, such as GreenHouse Capital, to achieve this.
The six weeks acceleration program will see the startups participate in 12 instructor-led sessions, 10 workshops and three-panel discussions. It will also feature a demo day session that will bring global investors to meet the start-up founders. Sessions are tailored to help the startup’s scale raise subsequent funding rounds.
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Solar-based internet service provider, Tizeti, has partnered with Microsoft to roll out affordable high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in Nigeria starting with Oyo State. The service comes with an introductory N2,222 or $5 offer for monthly fixed broadband and installation costs.
Through the Microsoft Airband Initiative, Tizeti and Microsoft will leverage low-cost wireless technologies. Making it easier and cheaper for people in underserved communities to access the internet and get connected to the digital economy. The internet in Oyo State will empower more Nigerians, stimulate economic activities, and widen the broadband envelope in Africa.
“Communities need reliable, affordable internet access in our increasingly digital world,” said Microsoft Airband General Manager, Vickie Robinson. “That’s why Microsoft is working with providers like Tizeti to connect the unconnected, expand opportunity, and close the global digital divide.”
Microsoft’s Airband Initiative is focused on advancing digital equity—access to affordable internet, affordable devices, and digital skills—as a platform for empowerment and digital transformation across the world.
Speaking on the partnership, Tizeti’s Chief Executive Officer of Tizeti, Kendall Ananyi, said that Microsoft Airband collaboration will complement Tizeti’s existing initiative in Oyo State and lay a foundation for a robust and thriving digital ecosystem for the large population of vibrant, young people in Oyo State. “We are happy to work with Microsoft on the Airband Initiative as it extends our mission of bringing affordable and reliable internet to more Nigerians outside the digital envelope,” Ananyi said.
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