Auda-Nepad Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support

29/09/2026

Next in our HGS cohort spotlight series is Onehealthng, a Nigerian digital pharmacy and medication access platform helping patients move more reliably from prescription to medicine. The company addresses gaps created by fragmented pharmacy networks, unreliable stock availability and delays between health insurers and pharmacies.

Across , patients can order prescribed medicines through OneHealth’s website, app or WhatsApp. OneHealth then works with pharmacies and health insurers, where relevant, to confirm the order and find available stock before the medicine is prepared and delivered. For people taking medicines regularly, refill subscriptions, reminders and WhatsApp support help them stay on track.

But the story goes beyond . By connecting patients, healthcare providers, insurers and pharmacies through one platform, OneHealth reduces the breaks that can occur between receiving a prescription and obtaining the medicine. Its network of more than 2,000 partner pharmacies across all 36 Nigerian states also brings medicines closer to where people live.
Since launch, OneHealth has helped more than 300,000 customers access medicines and now supports the delivery and tracking of around 10,000 prescriptions each month.

is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

By 2030, OneHealth aims to expand across West Africa, connecting patients, pharmacies, healthcare providers and insurers more effectively. Through HGS, the company is identifying the investment and partnerships needed to grow its network and support this expansion.

Stay tuned for the final feature in this year’s HGS cohort spotlight series!



| Villgro Africa | BCG in Africa |

19/09/2026

Next in our HGS cohort series is , an Egyptian climate technology company founded in 2022 and part of the Accelerator’s inaugural climate cohort. NoorNation helps agricultural businesses and rural communities overcome two linked constraints: unreliable electricity and limited access to safe water.

Across , NoorNation deploys its patent-pending LifeBox™, a locally assembled unit that uses solar energy to power irrigation pumps, treat and desalinate water, and provide electricity. Customers can purchase the system directly, while smallholder farmers can access irrigation on a pay-per-use basis. Its portable NoorBox also supplies reliable power to homes, schools, clinics and small commercial sites.

But the story goes beyond . By addressing power and water together, NoorNation helps farms irrigate land, reduces dependence on diesel generators and extends essential services to communities with weak or no grid access. Its in-house fabrication also keeps manufacturing value and skilled technical work in Egypt.
Across 58 projects and 34 clients, NoorNation has deployed 46 LifeBox units and 36 NoorBox units. Its LifeBoxes have reached 3,057 people, generated 10.79 GWh of clean energy, pumped 6.13 million m³ of water for irrigation, and desalinated 15.30 million litres, while avoiding 8,554 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and delivering USD 1.47 million in cumulative client savings.

The LifeBox holds the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label. NoorNation also won the 2023 SolarX Grand Challenge as one of Africa’s most innovative and scalable solar solution providers, and took first place in the COP27 National Initiative for Smart Green Governorates.

NoorNation is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has already supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

By 2030, NoorNation aims to generate $40M in cumulative revenue through direct sales and 200 to 300 pay-per-use solar irrigation installations, while expanding its operations and entering East African markets. Through HGS, the company is developing a growth roadmap and strengthening the governance and performance management needed to support this expansion.

Each week, we will continue to spotlight another company supported by HGS. Stay tuned to meet the rest of the cohort!


| Villgro | BCG in Africa |

15/09/2026

Continuing our HGS cohort series, meet Waspito, a digital health company founded in 2020 that is improving access to quality healthcare in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.

Across both markets, where distance, limited-service availability and fragmented healthcare journeys can make timely care harder to reach, Waspito is connecting patients to healthcare professionals and the services they need around each consultation. Through its platform, patients can access telemedicine consultations, laboratory testing, pharmacy services and onward care through partner hospitals.

But the story goes beyond . Waspito’s integrated model brings together patients, healthcare professionals and supporting services through one digital platform. Its software and AI-powered clinical support help professionals manage consultations and clinical information, creating a more coordinated journey from consultation to testing, medication and onward care.
Waspito reports serving 255,000 patients, reaching more than 3 million people and serving 1,200 health facilities. The company also reports that it is Côte d’Ivoire’s official telemedicine partner for the Ministry of Health and Hygiene.

Waspito is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has already supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

Through HGS, is working on its Series A readiness and growth strategy while identifying potential healthcare, AI and development finance institution partners.

Each week, we will spotlight another company supported by HGS. Stay tuned to meet the rest of the cohort!


| Villgro | BCG in Africa Boston Consulting Group (BCG) |

11/09/2026

Next in our HGS cohort series is Kubik, an Ethiopian waste management company founded in 2021 and one of the companies in the Accelerator’s inaugural climate cohort.

Across , where Kubik reports that 16.6 million tonnes of waste are generated each year and less than 5% is diverted from landfills, the company is building a pathway from waste to value. Working with municipalities and a network of local waste pickers, Kubik collects and sorts waste at landfill sites before directing recovered plastic into recycling channels and to customers.

But the story goes beyond . Kubik’s model brings together municipal partnerships, local collection and sorting, and markets for recovered materials, helping move plastic out of landfills while creating economic opportunity. To date, Kubik reports diverting more than 277 tonnes of plastic, avoiding more than 162 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and creating 820 jobs, with women accounting for the majority.

Kubik is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has already supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

Through HGS, Kubik is strengthening its business model and project management processes as it works towards expanding its operations across urban centres in Ethiopia.

Each week, we will spotlight another company supported by HGS. Stay tuned to meet the rest of the cohort!


| Villgro Africa | BCG in Africa Boston Consulting Group (BCG) |

27/08/2026

Meet the companies in this year’s HGS cohort!

First up is ZimSmart Villages, a Zimbabwean healthcare venture founded in 2024 that is reimagining how rural and underserved communities access affordable, quality care.

Across , where distance, cost and limited service availability can place essential healthcare out of reach, ZimSmart is bringing care closer to the people who need it. Through health kiosks, digital health promoters, WhatsApp screening and on-demand telehealth consultations, the company connects communities to low-cost consultations, testing, prescription delivery and other essential services.

But the story goes deeper than . It is about making technology useful, trusted and human. ZimSmart’s blended model combines physical access points, local support and remote care, and is already operating across 19 locations in 10 districts. To date, the company has delivered more than:
> 28,000 telemedicine consultations
> 25,000 point-of-care tests
> 22,000 eye screenings, and
> 56,542 prescriptions

ZimSmart Villages is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has already supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

Each week, we will spotlight another company supported by HGS.
Stay tuned to meet the rest of the cohort!



Villgro | BCG in Africa

23/07/2026

Pitching bold ideas for financing SME growth!

On Day 2 of the AU MSME Forum 2026 in Abidjan, 22 high-potential African enterprises participating in the Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 completed an intensive coaching programme delivered by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Villgro Africa.

Through tailored coaching and mock pitching sessions, the founders refined their investment propositions in preparation for the Sovereignty Talk Sessions on 23 July, where shortlisted companies will pitch directly to African Ministers, senior African Union officials, investors, and development partners during the Joint STC.

For these enterprises, the opportunity extends beyond a pitch, it is a gateway to strategic partnerships, investment, policy visibility, and continental market opportunities that can accelerate the growth and scale of African-owned solutions addressing food and energy security.


BCG in Africa

On Day 2 of the African Union SME Forum 2026, 22 high-potential African enterprises participating in the Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 completed an intensive coaching programme delivered by BCG, and Villgro Africa.

Through tailored coaching and mock pitching sessions, the founders refined their investment propositions in preparation for the Sovereignty Talk Sessions on 23 July, where shortlisted companies will pitch directly to African Ministers, senior AU officials, investors, and development partners during the Joint STC.

For these enterprises, the opportunity extends beyond a pitch, it is a gateway to strategic partnerships, investment, policy visibility, and continental market opportunities that can accelerate the growth and scale of African-owned solutions addressing food and energy security.

23/07/2026

Africa's policy ambitions are becoming investable enterprise solutions.

In collaboration with the African Union Commission, we supported 30 high-potential African ventures through our Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator Programme, ahead of the Pitch and Investment side-event of the Joint 9th STC on Finance and 5th STC on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. This is part of the ongoing African Union Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026.

The ventures went through a structured season of preparation delivered with Villgro Africa and BCG in Africa, including diagnostics to assess readiness, masterclasses to sharpen business fundamentals, fireside chats with industry leaders and investors, and pitch readiness reviews to prepare founders for investor engagement.

The Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 is helping turn Africa's policy ambitions into investable enterprise solutions. It supports high-growth startups and deep-tech innovators, with a focus on breakthrough technologies for food and energy self-sufficiency.

Africa's policy ambitions are becoming investable enterprise solutions.

In collaboration with the African Union Commission, we supported 30 high-potential African ventures through our Home Grown Solutions Accelerator Programme, ahead of the Pitch and Investment side-event of the Joint 9th STC on Finance and 5th STC on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. This is part of the ongoing African Union Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026.

The ventures went through a structured season of preparation delivered with Villgro Africa and BCG, including diagnostics to assess readiness, masterclasses to sharpen business fundamentals, fireside chats with industry leaders and investors, and pitch readiness reviews to prepare founders for investor engagement.

The Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 is helping turn Africa's policy ambitions into investable enterprise solutions. It supports high-growth startups and deep-tech innovators, with a focus on breakthrough technologies for food and energy self-sufficiency.

16/07/2026

Meet Cohort 6 – Healthcare and Climate Ventures

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 pan-African cohort of our Home-Grown Solutions (HGS) Accelerator, now in its 6th year!

This year, AUDA NEPAD Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support is supporting 7 new HGS, with 3 ventures in health and 4 in climate.

This initiative is made possible with funding and collaboration from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and operational support from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Villgro Africa.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!

Get to know our cohort: https://www.nepad.org/news/auda-nepad-home-grown-solutions-accelerator-announces-its-6th-pan-african-cohort

Waspito | OneHealth | Noor Nation | Mr. Green Africa | Kabisa Electric | Kubik | ZimSmart Villages


BCG in Africa

16/07/2026

Découvrez cohorte 6 de startups santé et climat

Nous sommes ravis d’annoncer la cohorte panafricaine 2026 de notre accélérateur AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions (HGS), qui en est maintenant à sa 6e année !

Cette année, nous accompagnons 7 nouvelles HGS, dont 3 entreprises dans le secteur de la santé et 4 dans le domaine du climat.

Cette initiative est rendue possible grâce au financement et à la collaboration de Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ainsi qu’au soutien opérationnel de Boston Consulting Group (BCG) et Villgro Africa.

Restez connectés pour découvrir plus d’actualités dans les mois à venir !

Waspito | OneHealth | Noor Nation | Mr. Green Africa | Kabisa Electric | Kubik | ZimSmart Villages

BCG in Africa

15/07/2026

AUDA NEPAD's Homegrown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator brought together 17 agribusiness entrepreneurs from 10 COMESA member states for a four-day capacity building and stakeholder engagement programme in .

Speaking with TV 47 Kenya, the Principal Programme Officer and Head of the Industrialisation Unit, George Murumba, noted that the pilot cohort of the HGSA-A is generating important lessons for scaling the initiative across the continent. Rather than expanding everywhere at once, the approach is to identify the most scalable businesses and grow from there, bringing in more partners along the way.

The accelerator is designed to strengthen African agribusinesses through strategic partnerships, peer learning, and regional collaboration, with a focus on food security, job creation, and climate resilience across the continent.

Watch the full interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gIIlZ_QakI





DROUGHT GUARD AFRICA LTD | Forest Africa Zambia Limited | Mtengowakumunda | Kagezi Seeds

__ Thank you for watching this video. Kindly subscribe for more c...