The Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) attended by US President Barack Obama in Nairobi, saw top innovators across the world walk away with awards and investment funds.
Kenyans -Taita Ngetich and Brian Bett emerged second place, winning $15,000 in venture fund.
The two are the minds behind ‘Illuminum Greenhouses’ which was among the best innovations in the Tech-I Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) category.
Illuminum Greenhouses is an Agri-Tech startup company in Kenya that constructs affordable greenhouses and install automated drip irrigation kits using solar powered sensors.
The sensor technology mainly allows for the remote regulation of water supply which is channeled through drip lines, from the farmer’s mobile phone.
The farmer through this technology is able to monitor the temperature, humidity, soil moisture in the greenhouse.
A farmers is able to open and close their irrigation system as well as query and get alerts on their current greenhouse status i.e Temperature, Humidity and Soil Moisture content via SMS.
This can be done from anywhere and at anytime of day just by sending a an SMS to their greenhouse.
The first place was taken by Mexican Carlos Francisco Bernal who was awarded $25,000 in venture capital.
Blessing Mene from Nigeria took third position winning $8,500.
The finalists pitched ideas that incorporate science and technology to solve local and global problems through creating startups.
See also: Why the Global Entrepreneurship Summit is a Big Deal to Kenya
