The inaugural Startup World Cup Uganda regional finale, organized by Benue Capital, culminated in a well-deserved victory for Terraworks AI, a groundbreaking startup led by Nimrod Wandera. PearlOxy Uganda Limited, founded by a team of passionate biomedical engineers, Agasha Faith and Ainembabazi Cathybert came in second place, and Karaa Africa, founded by Geoffrey Mutabazi, secured third place.
The journey to this momentous day began on July 5th, when over 100 startups submitted applications to compete in the Startup World Cup Uganda Challenge. After a rigorous screening process, 10 finalists were chosen to showcase their innovative ideas and relentless drive. These finalists delivered compelling pitches that left a strong impression on the audience and judges.
The competition was fierce, but Terraworks AI’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence product, Xaminer, stood out as the winning solution, taking home the top prize and earning the coveted opportunity to represent Uganda on the global stage in San Francisco, U.S., on October 17th.
Xaminer is an AI-powered assistant specially designed for African teachers and parents. It automates the marking of handwritten student assignments, providing detailed and personalized insights into student performance for teachers, school administrators, and parents. Since its launch, Xaminer has marked over 10,000 student papers in schools around Kampala, easing the marking burden on educators and freeing up hours of their time each week.
Terraworks AI’s victory signals a promising future for technology in education across Africa.
In a close contest, PearlOxy Uganda Limited secured second place. Founded by a team of passionate biomedical engineers, Agasha Faith and Ainembabazi Cathybert, the med-tech startup is developing a medical oxygen optimization system called MPOS to solve oxygen shortages in healthcare facilities. Its system ensures uninterrupted, cost-effective, and space-efficient oxygen delivery, enabling hospitals to save lives and improve patient outcomes.
Karaa Africa. Karaa Africa, founded by Geoffrey Mutabazi, secured third place. The e-mobility startup specializes in providing sustainable and cost-effective transportation solutions through electric delivery bicycles. The startup aims to empower African entrepreneurs by improving last-mile delivery with cleaner and cheaper electric mobility options.
All the startups demonstrated their own impressive innovative capacities, solidifying Uganda’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge entrepreneurship.
The event was graced by the presence of the guest of honor, David Mpanga, who applauded the remarkable talent on display and encouraged the startups to continue pushing boundaries.
The panel of judges, comprising notable experts such as Allan Lwetabe, Christine Namara, Diana Njujoma, and Dr. Dennis Aguma, played a crucial role in evaluating the pitches. Their keen insights and feedback inspired many of the finalists, underscoring the collaborative spirit of the event. The speakers’ panel featured seasoned venture experts Matthias Möbius, TMS Ruge, Prosper Atukwatse, and Stephen Tio Kauma, who shared invaluable knowledge about the venture value chain with the attendees.
Benue Capital extended heartfelt thanks to their sponsors, including PwC Uganda, who pledged a full year of business advisory services to the winner, and Turkish Airlines, which committed to flying the winner to San Francisco for the global finals.
As Terraworks AI prepares for the global finals, the team carries the hopes of an entire nation eager to see African startups shine on the world stage. This victory is only the beginning of an exciting journey towards Silicon Valley and beyond.
