Two Kenyan teams from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology(JKUAT) have won Ksh10 million in the annual Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge.
The teams, Kenya's Solar Freeze and Illuminum Greenhouses, took the first runners up and second runners up positions winning Ksh7.5 million and Ksh2.5 million respectively.
Solar Freeze Greenhouse produces portable solar cooling units that allow farmers to move and store smaller quantities of fresh produce more frequently.
On the other hand, Illuminium Greenhouses provides small scale farmers with affordable greenhouses and drip kits equipped with solar-powered IoT sensors that enable greater protection of crops from pests and diseases and increased water efficiency through automation.
"I am particularly proud of the two Kenyan companies that have come out on top, who have demonstrated the use of technology to solve critical challenges that affect livelihoods and communities in the country,“ the General Manager for Cisco East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, David Bunei stated.
He added that the two companies have illustrated that Kenyans have great ideas that are globally competitive.
While 335 teams from around the world competed in the challenge, the African continent had three winners, two from Kenya mentioned above and one from Nigeria known as TREP LABS.
The grand prize of Ksh10 million was awarded to Oorja from Imperial College London, United Kingdom.
The Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge was launched in 2017 to recognize post-secondary and recent graduates who have developed technological solutions that drive economic development or solve a social or environmental problem.
