Merck Accelerator Lagos Satellite Programme for Early-stage Startups in West Africa 2018

Are you an early stage start-up based in West Africa? Are you working at the cutting edge of innovation and would like to run a collaboration project with Merck to solve real-life problems? Is your startup innovation related to Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Performance Materials and our innovation focus areas? If you have answered yes to any of the questions, then apply below! 

Application Deadline: 17th August 2018

Eligible Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

To Be Taken At (Country): Lagos, Nigeria

About the Award: In partnership with MEST Incubator in Lagos, Merck Accelerator’s satellite program in Lagos is your gateway to quickly explore and validate the potential for co-creating and collaborating with Merck. Apply to get a chance to work on a collaboration project with existing Merck’s innovation projects.

Fields of Funding: 

1. Healthcare Access Solutions: Born out of the Merck innovation spirit for healthier people worldwide, currently, a pilot consisting of 5 Points of Care facilities at high standards of quality are being set up in Kenya. The platform concept will provide for medication (Dx/OTC) and nurse services enhanced through mobile and digital health solutions. To augment the digital access solution services, we are looking for innovative and ambitious startups with a sustainable business model idea in the following areas: delivery of healthcare, financing therapies, healthcare connected logistics, community self-service enablement and affordable, faster diagnosis.
2. Biosensing and Interfaces: We are looking at generating novel insights and building new business models around the integration of electronics and biology. This will enable us to develop groundbreaking medical treatment solutions, based on a unique mix of sensor data retrieval, machine learning, and curation expertise.
3. Precision Farming: We are looking at creating combinations of materials, analytics, and services that will help create a new kind of farming that is no longer dependent on the blanket application of agrochemicals to fields to feed an expanding global population in a more sustainable and ethical way.

Type: Entrepreneurship

Eligibility: We are looking for startups that fulfill the following criteria:

• Early stage startups that are not more than 4 years old
• Startups in the fields of Healthcare, Life Sciences, Performance Materials and other search fields such as Bio-sensing & Interfaces, and Precision Farming.
• Startups with at least 2 cofounders

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The selected start-ups will be invited for a Pitch Day in Lagos. The best start-up will have the opportunity to collaborate with Merck globally in our Headquarters.

How to Apply: Apply now!

Visit Programme Webpage for Details

Award Providers: Merck