African startups, 54gene and Sokowatch, have been selected among hundreds of candidates as the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Technology Pioneers”.
With their selection as Technology Pioneer, the CEO of the startups Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong of 54gene and Daniel Yu of Sokowatch will be invited to participate in World Economic Forum activities, events, and discussions throughout the year.
54gene and Sokowatch will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues.
The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the use of new technologies and innovation that are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.
For the first time in the community’s history, over 30% of the cohort are led by women. The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. This year’s cohort includes start-ups from 26 countries, with UAE, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe represented for the first time.
The diversity of these companies extends to their innovations as well. 2021 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology, and many more.
About the startups Selected As World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Technology Pioneer
54gene
54gene is a Nigerian health technology company deriving insights from the world’s most diverse populations to solve some of healthcare’s biggest challenges.
Founded in 2019, the company generates genetic insights from research cohorts in the world’s most diverse populations to improve the development, availability and efficacy of therapeutics and diagnostics that will prove beneficial to all populations.
Sokowatch
The East African e-commerce company uses innovative technology to improve supply chain inefficiencies. It currently has over 22,000 active shops across 9 major cities in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda and serves informal retailers that the mass market rely heavily on for essential goods.
CEOs & WEF Comment
“It is truly an honour to be recognised as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum,” said 54gene’s Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong. “This is testament to the outstanding collective output of the 54gene team to address global health disparities, and to imagine a world where precision medicine applies equally to all irrespective of one’s geographical location or economic status. There’s a long journey ahead and we look forward to continuing to collaborate and innovate with other mission-driven organizations all over the world.”
“It’s a great privilege to be acknowledged as a pioneer by the World Economic Forum”, said Sokowatch’s Daniel Yu. “We are continuously looking at how technology can transform the supply chain for informal retailers and improve access to goods for the mass market. The informal retail sector makes up 80% of total retail but is extremely fragmented; introducing technology has enabled a simplified and seamless process that is slowly turning a traditionally unprofitable market into a profitable one.”
“We’re excited to welcome 54gene Sokowatch to our 2021 cohort of Technology Pioneers,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “Sokowatch, 54gene and its fellow pioneers are developing technologies that can help society solve some of its most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum in its commitment to improving the state of the world.”
