AFRICA – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has announced the regional winners of the 2024 ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW), the international accelerator of hardware-led social innovation.
Seven social ventures from throughout Africa pitched their innovative solutions and participated in an extensive design and engineering review with expert judges on June 19 and 20 in Nairobi.
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real-world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, it is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society.
ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.
Three regional winners were selected to join the 2024 ASME ISHOW cohort and announced at an invitation-only awards ceremony. They will receive a share of US$30,000 in grant awards and technical support to help bring their impactful innovations to market.
The 2024 ASME ISHOW Kenya regional winners were Afya Lead from Tanzania, Megagas Alternative Energy Enterprise Limited from Kenya, and Neosave Technologies Limited from Uganda.
Tanzania’s Afya Lead received the investment for its “Mkanda Salama” innovation—a patented, noninvasive, affordable device designed to address postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal mortality globally.
Kenya’s Megagas Alternative Energy Enterprise Limited received the investment for its “Community Kitchens Powered by Renewable Energy.”
The company converts plastic waste into clean cooking gas via a patented process and distributes it through women entrepreneurs. Its community kitchens offer affordable, eco-friendly cooking solutions at US$0.02 per hour and serve as social hubs for low-income households.
Uganda’s Neosave Technologies Limited received the investment for its “Autothermo” solution—a wearable medical device designed for clinicians to continuously monitor sick newborns admitted to care, particularly in regions with limited human resources for health, including Uganda.
“Through the vision and creativity of these talented entrepreneurs and the guidance of expert mentors, ASME ISHOW and IDEA LAB are transforming groundbreaking ideas into market-ready products that improve lives,” said ASME Executive Director/CEO Tom Costabile.
“These programs are key components of ASME’s sustainability and climate strategy, aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
ASME also announced that the 2024 ISHOW cohort will be invited to the annual ISHOW Bootcamp in the winter to receive an extensive and customized design and engineering review by experts curated to guide them as they scale to market.
They will also have a chance to earn a second round of seed grants from ASME. They become part of the ISHOW alum network, an international community of hardware innovators and stakeholders with exclusive access to experts and resources.
ASME ISHOW judges and facilitators include experts in research, sustainability, mechanical engineering and product design, manufacturing, startup financing, supply chain management, and business strategy.
They represent organizations including Gearbox, GlobalX Investments, Kenyatta University, Octavia Carbon, Sun King, Villgro Africa, ZOLA Electric, and several ISHOW alumni.
These subject matter experts provide technical and strategic guidance based on ISHOW’s five key pillars: customer/user knowledge, hardware validation, manufacturing optimization, implementation strategy, and impact.
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