On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, the DIGILOGIC Pitch Event unfolded grandly. It was moderated by Margherita Trestini, General Manager at Apodissi. Charlotte Edzard, the innovation coach for the DIGILOGIC project, commenced the event with a gracious welcome.
The event attracted logistics experts, innovators, and investors from around the globe, including notable figures such as Abir Leheta, CEO of Eqytrans, Irina Albanese, the innovation drive for the Middle East and Africa at DHL, Johannes Franke, managing director, Startport Duisburg, and Obie George, Innovation Manager at DHL Innovation Center; These distinguished individuals comprised the panel of jurors tasked with selecting the most outstanding pitch by the end of the event. Holger Schneebeck, Global Innovation Manager at DHL, was also present.
While providing a brief overview of the project, Stephen Fox, VTT, Technical Research Center Finland, reminisced that it took off in early 2021 and initiated its call for smart logistics proposals in 2022. The 9 Smart Logistics pitches presented during the event were chosen as winners from a pool of over 200 applicants across Africa and Europe for the DIGILOGIC program.
The pitch event comprised three intriguing rounds. In the first round, Radava, Deftpal, and Duniya presented their innovative ideas, focusing on supply chain solutions in agriculture, healthcare, and logistics—sectors ripe for innovative solutions across all African countries. Stephen Fox remarked, “African people are very resilient and resourceful,” while Holger expressed keen interest in Duniya’s cost-free transport concept, and Johannes inquired about the procedures used by Deftpal to gather data from different supply chains.
The second round featured Farmisphere, Instadriver, and Vinmak, startups working on solutions to connect farmers with customers and vendors, making the process affordable, sustainable, and reliable. Abir Leheta queried Farmisphere about their locally-made refrigerated boxes and whether they were restricted to specific locations. Holger praised Farmisphere as a fantastic idea, particularly appreciating its emphasis on farming and crop preservation.
The final round showcased Yaaka, Wadonge, and Trotrolive, presenting logistics, agricultural, and energy solutions. DHL found Yaaka’s idea particularly important, aligning with their current exploration of sustainable clean energy. Obie inquired about Yaaka’s technology and the existence of a backup system for energy storage. Yaaka specialises in producing mobile kiosks for charging mobile phones.
Before announcing the top three pitches, the startups’ founders took a moment to express gratitude to mentors at DIGILOGIC. They highlighted how the program had enabled them to upskill, overcome challenges, build connections, and gain visibility. Stephen emphasised that the challenges addressed by these startups were not confined to Africa but had global implications.
In the final selection, the jurors awarded Radava third place and Farmisphere second place and declared Duniya the winner. Abir Leheta concluded the event by remarking, “What a pleasure to witness such an amazing event—a team making a significant impact with brilliant ideas.” Holger added that he found the event intriguing, showcasing numerous fascinating solutions.
