CcHUB, Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council to support COVID-19 projects
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) has announced a partnership with the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) to support coronavirus (AKA COVID-19)-related projects.
Through its Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda, CcHUB would be supporting selected projects with designers and engineers to explore the application of human-centred design to their solution aimed at flattening the curve of the spread of the deadly virus.
LASRIC would be providing grant funding of $1,000 (₦367,000) to projects that are focused on Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria and a hotspot of the pandemic.
In addition to the grant funding, LASRIC would also be reviewing the most-promising solution to invest $12,000 (₦4.4 million) in a convertible note with an equity claim in possible future funding rounds. The terms of this follow-on investment will be decided on a case-by-case basis, according to a statement released by CcHUB.
While applications are still open for startups with capacity to develop innovation solution that could stem the spread of the deadly viral disease, the first batch of coronavirus-related projects that would be supported have been announced.
As the foremost technology and innovation centre in Africa, CcHUB, on March 15, called for submission of COVID-19-related projects, albeit not limited to the following areas:
- Last mile communication: educating the public and ensuring the right information reaches even more remote locations
- Support for the infected and most vulnerable in the society
- Local production of essential medical supplies
- Support for food value chain from producers to consumers (in the event of movement restrictions).
In curbing the spread of the viral disease, the Lagos State Government wants to alleviate such issues as contact tracking, last-mile communication, the supply for delivering essential medication, food and healthcare materials.
On March 22, 2020, after reviewing hundreds of applications, the first two startups that will be supported under this joint partnership were announced: Wellvis Health and PricePally.
They are:@WellvisHealth has built a screening tool that allows users to screen for symptoms & chat with certified Doctors.
— Co-Creation Hub (@Cc_HUB) March 22, 2020
We will support them to extend the tool's functionalities to include heat mapping & symptoms logging as well as help scale their telemedicine support.
According to the statement released by CcHUB, Wellvis—a screening tool that allows users to chat with certified Doctors—will be supported to extend the functionalities of its tools to include heat mapping and symptoms logging, as well as to scale their telemedicine support.
PricePally—a digital food cooperative that allows people to buy food in bulk or share bulk food with others—will be supported to ensure food items are delivered to the doorsteps of customers, especially when there's a lockdown.
Lagos-based startups working on prototype, ideating a solution, and have the capacity to proffer innovative solutions curb the spread of the viral disease can still apply to take advantage of the resources and support that would be provided by CcHUB and LASRIC.
