The Industry Innovation Lab boosts new tech entrepreneurs

A new cohort of tech startups is ready to flourish with the help of the Industry Innovation Lab (IIL), Carnegie Mellon University Africa's startup hub. Among other initiatives like a tech skills marketplace program, the IIL provides a year-long business incubation program to support startup founders, supplying resources like a seed grant, expert business and legal consulting, personalized mentorship, office space, and introductions to investors.

"The Industry Innovation Lab was born to create a space for our students and alumni who have entrepreneurial aspirations to build solutions for problems that are faced in Africa," says Maria Mayanja, the entrepreneurship program manager at CMU-Africa. In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the IIL also strives to support job creation across the continent through entrepreneurship, and has since expanded to startups beyond CMU-Africa.

Each year, the IIL selects startups that have identified a problem, conducted considerable market research, and developed a working prototype for a solution. From there, the IIL's job is to help refine the startups' products and get them out to consumers and investors. 

This year's diverse cohort, the fourth since 2020 and the largest to date, includes startups pursuing opportunities in a wide range of sectors—from healthcare and assistive technologies to education and green transportation. Five of the 15 startups were founded or co-founded by current CMU-Africa students, and 10 by women. The tech solutions designed by the startups will be implemented in five different countries.

Through the IIL, the startup founders will learn to supplement their technological expertise with the entrepreneurial skills needed to make their products succeed in the market. "They'll really learn about product development with the end user in mind," says Mayanja.

The founders will also lean on each other's knowledge, especially those working in the same sector, and take advantage of their connections to explore markets in different countries across Africa.

"That's how great businesses rise, by leaning on each other's strengths and supporting each other within their networks," says Mayanja. "Them leveraging that is one of the biggest takeaways they'll have from the program."

The Industry Innovation Lab's 2025 incubatees

LifeLine

LifeLine integrates insurance with outpatient drug tracking to reduce medication access barriers in Africa. It provides affordable access to medications and uses AI tools to increase efficiency and revenue, benefiting insurers and pharmacies. LifeLine has partnered with 20 pharmacies and eight insurance providers, generating $1,200 in its first month of beta testing.

Founder: King Chukwumere
Rwanda

Afya Ya Mnyama Digital

Afya Ya Mnyama Digital has developed a solution to address the challenge of early animal disease diagnosis faced by 80 percent of livestock farmers in Tanzania, involving sensor technology in ear tags or ruminal boluses. This technology enables early disease detection and real-time health monitoring, helping farmers manage animal health more effectively. This approach aims to reduce the significant annual treatment costs, which currently exceed 250.8 billion Tsh.

Founders: Julieth Tarimo, Marko M. Mabula Kaswahili
Tanzania

Geuza

Geuza creates eco-friendly assistive devices, like crutches and prosthetics, from recycled e-waste to aid people with disabilities. They use IoT sensors for enhanced functionality and support local economic growth by reducing e-waste.

Founder: Aline Nicole Uwamariya
Rwanda

Vizion Bot

Vizion Bot develops a digital walking stick for visually impaired people, featuring auto-sensing, vibration alerts, adjustable tubes, and a solar-powered battery. Their goal is to improve accessibility, safety, and quality of life for people with visual impairments.

Founders: Adrien Biziyaremye, Guillaume Nzayisenga
Rwanda

Signvrse

Signvrse enhances communication for the deaf community with AI-powered real-time sign language translation. Using motion capture and 3D avatars, it interprets spoken and written language into sign language, breaking barriers in education, healthcare, and public services. Signvrse promotes digital accessibility and social inclusion for over 600,000 deaf individuals in Kenya, and 466 million people with hearing loss globally.

Founders: Elly Savatia, Branice Kazira
Kenya/Rwanda

DFTR

DFTR simplifies financial management for small businesses that rely on manual bookkeeping. DFTR provides a user-friendly platform designed for ease of use, even for those with limited digital experience. By digitizing financial records, DFTR automates bookkeeping, saving time and effort, and allowing business owners to focus on growth. It helps keep personal, business, and group finances distinct, improving organization, financial transparency, and empowering better financial decisions.

Founders: Leah Kanyi, Frank Rweye (MS ECE '22)
Tanzania/Kenya/Rwanda

Greenalytic Motors Ltd

Greenalytic Motors Ltd specializes in environmental technology, focusing on vehicle emissions monitoring and control. The Vehicle Pollution Monitoring System provides real-time emissions data and alerts for non-compliance, and integrates with a dashboard platform. This innovation helps reduce harmful emissions, improve air quality, and support environmental sustainability in urban areas.

Founders: Emmanuel Tuyizere, Fausta Tumukunde
Rwanda

Afya Wave Ltd

Afya Wave Ltd is a healthcare startup reducing maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa with AI-powered ultrasound technology. Their lightweight, portable devices address barriers like the lack of ultrasound machines and trained personnel, helping healthcare providers quickly identify pregnancy risk factors. Afya Wave aims to promote equitable access to prenatal care and transform maternal healthcare delivery in the region.

Founders: Sarah Sunday Moses (MSIT '26), Moussa Moustapha
Rwanda

Ace Solutions

Ace Solutions's product, Assetify, is a web and mobile app platform that helps organizations manage their growing collection of assets. It provides valuable insights from asset valuation, lifecycle tracking, auditing, and books of accounts, facilitating informed decision-making. Assetify empowers institutions to efficiently manage assets from acquisition to disposal, ensuring maximum value extraction throughout their lifecycle.

Founders: Gedeon Mirenge, Jean Damascene Uwingeneye
Rwanda

CheckMe

CheckMe enables women to perform self-breast screenings from home, addressing high healthcare costs and limited accessibility and breast cancer awareness. CheckMe offers interactive education, self-screening guidance, and connects users with healthcare specialists and breast cancer survivors. Using AI, data analytics, and community engagement, CheckMe promotes early detection and proactive healthcare practices, aiming to reduce breast cancer and save lives across Africa.

Founders: Francis Berinuy Yuyun (MSIT '25), Assynath Mlay (MSIT '25), Apoh Prince Eldrige
Cameroon/Rwanda

A Hity Design

A Hity Design produces a project called Green Transport, which develops affordable electric scooters to address transportation challenges in rural areas. These scooters provide a sustainable and cost-effective mobility solution, reducing travel costs and improving access to essential services for low-income individuals, especially teachers, farmers, and community members. By focusing on underserved communities, Green Transport aims to make transportation more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Founders: Elyse Tumushime, Isaac Ngendahimana
Rwanda

Olga

Olga (Optimized Learning and Guidance Assistant) is an AI-powered academic planning assistant at CMU-Africa that provides 24/7 personalized course recommendations based on students' career aspirations. It addresses limited academic guidance, restricted access to advisors, and short registration windows, helping students make informed decisions and align their courses with their career goals. OLGA also automates degree requirement tracking and integrates insights from career services, reducing advisors' workload.

Founders: Wendy Essuman (MS ECE '25), Michael Nwankwo (MSIT '25), Brhane Giday, Roy Esibe (MSIT '25)
Rwanda

Smart Trak

Smart Trak specializes in live tracking solutions for shuttle services tailored to organizations, schools, and institutions. Smart Trak provides real-time shuttle tracking, enhancing convenience for students and streamlining operations for management and drivers. This innovative approach ensures efficiency, punctuality, and improved coordination, transforming shuttle services into a seamless experience.

Founders: Rose Kawila Kyalo (MSIT '26), Manyara Bonface Baraka (MS EAI '26), Joel Adebayo Oluwatooni (MS ECE '26)
Rwanda

Chanels Innovations

Chanels Innovations is revolutionizing energy metering for Africa's micro-utilities with its AI-powered, multi-tenant smart meters. By reducing hardware costs by up to 70 percent through proprietary designs and enhancing grid reliability with AI-driven software, Chanels delivers reliable, cost-effective, and scalable energy solutions.

Founders: Temitope Oguntade (MSIT '24), Julius Zannu (MSIT '25)
Nigeria

SafeSpeak

SafeSpeak produces an app offering a confidential platform for students to report sexual harassment and assault, receive support from a wellness team, engage in peer discussions, and access relevant resources.

Founders: Peace Bakare (MSIT '26), Cynthia Iradukunda (MSIT '26), Michaella Marie Rugumbira (MSIT '26)
Rwanda