Appliance company Defy is looking for African startups in finance, sustainable living & health

Appliance manufacturer Defy is looking for African startups to develop new products and technologies for sustainable living and economic development o the continent. In a partnership with its sister company Beko, they have launched Hack The Normal an online hackathon and are looking for startups in the following areas:

• Financial Solutions: With Africa rapidly becoming a key player in the global economy, the continent must prepare itself for a surge of commercial activity with all the supporting services necessary for trade. Attendees will be asked to put forward solutions that could improve financial inclusion and liquidity in the sub-Saharan region; solve the hard currency problem between countries involved in trade; address business challenges faced by individuals and companies, or create shared economic systems between companies and individuals.
• Sustainable Living: As the continent is expected to double its population by 2050 from 1 billion to nearly 2.4 billion inhabitants, this will be accompanied by challenges such as access to potable water, food, and even a constant supply of electricity. With this in mind, hackathoners will need to design solutions for a more sustainable future for the average African household and the planet in general. Alternatively, they will need to come up with a way of creating sustainable impact in areas ranging from food waste to energy and water consumption.
• Healthy Living: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased focus on hygiene and health. To help ensure a healthier future for the continent, solutions that have a positive impact on sustaining healthy living conditions in African homes will need to be supplied. Additionally, solutions that contribute to the health of individuals and families, focused on areas such as nutrition, personal care, sleep, exercise, and personal hygiene are also sought.

Hack The Normal will be held over 3 days (1st to the 3rd of March 2021) and participants will be trained in several areas from problem discovery, solution development, prototyping and storytelling.

Benefits for the projects selected

The projects that meet Defy’s criteria (impact, applicability and commercialisation) will be moved on for further development. Projects selected will also get access to sales opportunities, investor networks, and will also have the opportunity to participate in accelerator and incubator programmes.

Application for the Defy/Beko Hack The Normal close on the 28th of February and you can find the application form with the link here