Innovation SL positioning Sierra Leone on the Global Stage
Innovation SL on behalf of Orange SL is the proud organizing partner of the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Sierra Leone. The OSVP is a competition that awards national and international prizes to new businesses that propose digital technology solutions.
On the 27th of October 2022, Lifeblood – Joseph Koroma from Sierra Leone emerged as the winner of the International Grand Prix (OSVP) 2022. 1370 participants with solution-driven ideas from seventeen (17) countries across Africa and the Middle East competed for the 12th edition of the OSVP 2022 with a cash prize of €25,000.
The Lifeblood system is a digital health platform designed to, among other things; Increase public awareness of safe blood services. Lifeblood aims to increase the level of voluntary blood donation in the population, and improve the operational efficiency of the blood service facilities and the national blood safety service.
How it all started…..
Lifeblood`s journey started with a national challenge; 252 applications were received from 16 districts across Sierra Leone. It was a competitive challenge with four (4) stages that were judged by renowned Professionals from distinguished academic, business, and technological backgrounds.
Eight (8) startups made it to the grand finals; 5 in the grand prize category and 3 in the Tech Queen category. Innovation SL prepared the finalist by offering pitch training to the finalists and a standard pitch deck that could capture their entire business idea.
At the thrilling national finals; Smart Irrigation system won the Grand Prize (NLE, 100,000) and Safe Space won the Tech Queen (NLE, 50,000), and the two runner-up teams were Lifeblood in the Grand prize and Farmrette Salone for the Queen Tech category.
The journey continues, and the 8 finalists were submitted for the Internation competition which would comprise 48 national winners in 17 countries; for the first time in four attempts, a startup from Sierra Leone qualified for the OSVP international stage.
Amazingly two startups, Lifeblood and Farmrette Salone made it to the Top 15 of the International Grand Prix 2022.
Biomass For Gas Low Cost -Mali, and Kamioun from Tunisia joined Lifeblood from Sierra Leone to pitch as the finalists for the 2022 International Grand Prix in the Republic of Rwanda.
Joseph Koroma from Lifeblood followed the script from the prepping sessions in Freetown and won the 12th Edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize for Sierra Leone.
At Innovation SL we are creating the future today and this is a manifestation that Innovation SL is creating the enabling environment for the entrepreneurial ecosystem to strive in Sierra Leone.