At the beginning of the nation-wide lockdown in May, Ghana Tech Lab partnered with the Mastercard foundation to provide free certificated courses on artificial intelligence (AI) and graphic design for university studies.

It is a platform that prides itself in turning ideas into start-ups advancing the Tech Eco-system in Africa. It offers various programs aimed at equipping businesses and individuals with the necessary skills to survive and positively contribute to it.

Entrepreneurs were also given an opportunity to learn on business development and accounting for start-ups. To make this initiative accessible even to the poorest Ghanaian, the Lab sponsored data scholarships to selected candidates.  This initiative had over 1, 400 participants of different age groups, across the country.

In order to get the youth involved in providing solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lab held a competition which challenged participants to come up with innovative solutions to the issues the country is facing as a result of the virus. 6 winners were selected, and each received a $10 000 grant to set their idea in motion.

Last week, the Lab announced its partnership with Deutshe Gesellschaft fur Zusammenabeit (GIZ) and IBM to run an AI focused accelerator program. This initiative is aimed at promoting innovations in artificial intelligence, data learning and data usage.

The program will provide start-ups with product and business development support making use of its accelerator with both a virtual and physical interface. 10 start-ups in Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda have been announced to be participants and support beneficiaries of this program.

Through the collaborative nature of the program between start-ups, investors, corporations, and commercial partners the AI industry is set for an explosive growth in Africa. This growth will attract more investments and will create an environment where innovation will thrive and change Africa one start-up at a time.

Ghana Tech Lab: A Catalyst for African Tech Innovation