Winners of Innovation Prize for Africa announced

9 May 2014

The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) has announced the winners of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA), the top innovators on the continent creating solutions to Africa's everyday challenges through a practical approach to entrepreneurship.

Winner

Dr. Nicolaas Duneas and Nuno Pires (South Africa)'s Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM) won $100,000 for creating the first injectable porcine derived BMP medical device in the world - an innovative product for the treatment of bone injuries and voids through the use of a regenerative biological implant.

Before the Altis OBM was invented, patients with serious bone trauma or degradation would have to endure the removal of bone tissue from their own hips or from deceased donors in the hopes of undergoing successful bone crafting surgery - both very invasive methods. The injection of OBM leads to the rapid, safe and effective healing of problematic bone injuries, leading to the complete and natural restoration of the bone, including the bone marrow. OBM is said to be the only bone graft substitute containing naturally extracted bone growth proteins that cooperate with high efficacy and are sourced from mammals, making it cost effective to produce.

Runners-up

In addition, the IPA announced two runners-up. The innovation with the best business potential went to Logou Minsob, from Togo, who created a food processor manufactured in Togo and is designed to replace the mortar and pestles (carved wood), used to prepare Foufou, a popular dish in West Africa.

The special prize for the innovation with the best social impact was awarded to Melesse Temesgen from Ethiopia for inventing a low-cost farming device that is used to easily drain excess water from waterlogged fields. It is the only known effective device that is capable of creating drainage furrows for excess water while building a broad bed for planting. Each runner-up received $25,000.

Winners were selected by a skilled panel of jurors based on the marketability, originality, scalability, social impact and business potential of their respective innovations. They are provided with unrestricted funds in recognition of their achievements and are free to use the Prize to take their innovations to the next level..

The call for applications for IPA 2015 will be announced in July 2014. For more, go to www.innovationprizeforafrica.org.