SafeNow, a Nigerian startup, comes in second place in the Seedstars competition
SafeNow, a Nigerian startup, comes in second place in the Seedstars competition
SafeNow, a Nigerian safety startup, has been named the first runner-up winner of the Seedstars Digital Democracy Challenge, which took place earlier this year. SafeNow, as well as the winner and second runner-up, shared in cash prizes totaling $10,000 (for the winner), $8,000 (for the second runner-up), and $6,000 (for the third runner-up).
It is the goal of the Seedstars Digital Democracy Challenge, a global hackathon, to develop innovative solutions that will strengthen and enhance digital democracy for citizens who live in countries with strict cyber restrictions and control.
There were sessions and mentors who helped startups refine and improve their concepts throughout the 72-hour collaborative digital process. Participants presented their businesses to a jury composed of Ian Charles Stewart, Chairman of the WheelsPlusWings Foundation; Angela Homsi, Founder and CEO of Angaza – Ignite Power; Eldrid Jordaan, Founder and CEO of GovChat; Mir Nadia Nivin, Development Professional; and Harry Federspiel, Head of Global Programs at Seedstars. The program came to a close with a demo day.
It was determined that the winner was Divao, a Hong Kong-based private blockchain startup that provides a decentralized platform for the development of a local community. Residents can use it to find, offer, and exchange services, goods, and other community assets such as spaces. It is free to use.
It is a Nigerian mobile application called SafeNow that was awarded second place. The app allows users to quickly report unsafe incidents to helpmates and security authorities with a single click on a mobile device. In order to raise awareness about the importance of family and friend safety, the platform was created.
In Nigeria, where youth are subjected to police brutality, the app has the potential to be a game changer. During the EndSars protests in October 2020, protesters were brutalized and arbitrarily detained by police. Their family members were forced to post a missing person notice on social media before some non-governmental organizations were able to check different police stations for them.
"I want to live in a world where global citizens have fair and equal democratic access," Phillip Igboba, CEO of SafeNow, stated in his motivation for founding the company.
Founded in Kenya, Crowd Journal is a digital platform that facilitates participatory (crowd) journalism by amplifying under-represented voices in mainstream media. It was named the third-place winner in the competition. In this platform, witnesses from all over the world can contribute their accounts, allowing them to give voice to stories that would otherwise go unnoticed by the mainstream media.
Africans in search of a safe and secure digital space
It is the mission of Seedstars, an independent private company based in Switzerland, to transform lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurialism.
In 2012, Pierre-Alain, Michael, and Adrien founded Seedstars, a non-profit that empowers entrepreneurs in emerging markets by connecting them with expert mentors and investors through online programs, events, and competitions.
In a speech about the competition, Archie Moberly, Seedstars Partnerships Manager, Asia Pacific, expressed interest in the winners' future endeavors as well as in the competition's winners' success.
As a response to the global decline of democracy, a hackathon is being held. The public can gather in an open civic space to discuss their common interests and concerns, as well as to act individually and collectively to shape democratic societies. However, by 2020, the level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen will have dwindled to levels last seen around 1990.
