Twenty Ghanaian social-impact startups graduate from UNICEF's StartUp Lab with equity-free grants

Twenty Ghanaian startups building tech-based solutions for children and young people have graduated from UNICEF Ghana's StartUp Lab, UNICEF said. The sixth cohort completed a six-month program under the KOICA-UNICEF Accelerating Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Ghana project, implemented by MEST Africa.

From coding toys to electric conversions

The ventures cover a wide range. CodesRock teaches screen-free coding, AI and robotics to children from age three, and InovTech STEM Center provides STEM tools and teacher training to schools. Phundit helps people aged 18 to 35 build emergency savings, and EGGS N MORE makes egg and eggshell powders for households, bakeries and child welfare clinics.

BorlaHub runs a digital platform for sorting and collecting waste, SmartWatt Company Limited converts conventional vehicles to electric power, and Impact AI Labs builds practical AI tools for social and economic problems.

Equity-free grants

Each startup received an equity-free prototype grant of GHS 65,000, meaning the founders do not give up a share of their company. Three ventures also shared GHS 165,000 from a Scale-Up Fund, GHS 55,000 each. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has invested US$2.2 million in the initiative over five years, according to UNICEF.

UNICEF Ghana set up the StartUp Lab in 2019, and MEST Africa runs the program for each cohort.

What happens to the startups next

UNICEF's release does not say how many startups from earlier cohorts are still operating or how many jobs they have created, figures that would show whether the model works over time. More stories about young people and work are collected under youth.