Sekofia proudly clinched the 1st position in the 2024 ALU International Health Entrepreneurship Hackathon, part of the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, and received USD 5,000 in seed funding.

The 2024 ALU International Health Entrepreneurship Hackathon, part of the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, brought together over 100 students from nine African universities to tackle pressing healthcare challenges. The program kicked off with field visits, starting at Zipline's Muhanga branch, where we learned about their pioneering drone-based delivery of blood and medical supplies. We also visited Bwiza 2ndGen-Healthpost and the "Blue Room," where we explored modern approaches to healthcare service delivery and digital transformation. These visits ignited our thinking about how to address inefficiencies in Africa's healthcare sector.

Day 1: The Hackathon Program & Field Visits

By the second day, after soaking up inspiration, we formed our team and began the challenging task of narrowing down which problem we were most passionate about solving. Our discussions were heated but focused, and after hours of brainstorming, we identified a key issue: the digital inefficiencies within the health insurance sector. We envisioned a solution that could streamline the claims process and enhance accessibility—this is how Sekofia was born.

The following day was intense, as we dove deep into design thinking, mapping, and visualizations. With the help of our mentors, we refined our business model, developed a solid pitch strategy, and received invaluable feedback. The support and guidance pushed us to rework and improve our approach continuously.

Day 2 & 3: Ideation and Solution Development

Day 4: Pitch Presentations & Winning the Hackathon

On the final day, our efforts were put to the test. We polished our business structure, designed an initial prototype of Sekofia, and prepared for our big pitch. The hackathon teams were split into rooms, with each group presenting their ideas to a panel of judges. The top two teams from each room advanced to the finale. We made it through and were selected as one of the top 10 teams, and we were super excited!

We were pumped and ready to pitch in the final round. Our pitch highlighted the uniqueness of Sekofia’s solution to the digital gaps in health insurance, something the judges found particularly impressive. After a period of deliberation by the judges and mentors, the top five teams were announced. We were extremely delighted as Sekofia was declared the 1st place winner, securing USD 5,000 in seed funding.

Post-Hackathon Sessions

Following the hackathon, we have continued refining Sekofia through progress sessions with the ALU Health Collaborative Project team and the University of Toronto’s H2i team. As we continue to work toward implementing our solution, our goal is to be among the two teams that will be showcased at the 2nd Health Collaborative Convening in Kumasi, Ghana, in October 2024.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more details here on our blog as we share more news, insights and updates on our journey and progress.

Competing against 20+ teams from nine African universities, the hackathon challenged us to innovate solutions for the healthcare sector, bringing together over 100 students with diverse ideas and skills.

Winning the hackathon validated our passion for improving Africa’s healthcare system, and we remain committed to driving lasting change in the health insurance sector.

SUBSCRIBE

Did you enjoy reading this blog? Then subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to hear about our recent news, feature updates and other blog posts.