12 finalists for the first-ever Google Impact Challenge have been announced by Google.
The Google Impact Challenge is seeking to identify and fund the most innovative social enterprises using technology to improve society on a local or national scale.
Google is investing a total of 200 million shillings in grants to 12 non-profits in Kenya.
Lewa Wildlife Marathon was named the winner of the Public Vote, while the African Prisons Project, Startup Lions, and Ujuzi Kilimo Solutions won the Judges’ Vote. The four winners won 25 million shillings each.
The eight finalists, who each received 12.5 million shillings, were: AfriScout, Creatives Garage, GiveDirectly Kenya, Global Minimum InLab, M-Shule, NairoBits, Sauti, and The Somo Project.
Google will also provide support and training to the 12 non-profits to scale their projects.
The challenge was launched in May 2018 in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa and during the six-month campaign period, over 5000 entries were submitted from the three countries, with over 1000 entries from Kenya.
“Google celebrates the non-profits that took part in the Google Impact Challenge, especially for the way that their work is fuelling social and economic change in their communities. This Challenge is part of our ongoing commitment to invest and build initiatives relevant for Africans’ everyday lives,” said Charles Murito, Country Manager, Google Kenya.
Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, Patron of the Google Impact Challenge, lauded Kenyans for the creative entries they submitted for consideration.
“The Google Impact Challenge has bridged the gap between Kenyans who have great ideas and no means to implement and scale them. I am grateful that Google.org created this avenue for innovative Kenyans to put forward their ideas for social impact,” said Her Excellency, Rachel Ruto, EGH, Spouse to the Deputy President, Founder, Joyful Women Organization and Global Champion of Economic Empowerment.
The funding will be allocated in tranches, to be assigned to each enterprise as they reach a set of predefined milestones specific to each venture. In addition to the funding, the winners and runners-up also receive support from Google to reach their goals and meet those milestones.
Google has been in Kenya for more than 10 years and remains committed to making investments that develop the digital ecosystem and leveraging technology to improve the lives and wellbeing of its users.
Last month, Google announced a partnership with One Acre Fund to provide training as well as products and services to smallholder farmers aimed at digitizing their agribusiness operations and tasks.