Ho Node Hub holds summit for local start-ups

A lecturer in Software Development at the Ho Technical University, Mr Adolph Sedem Yaw Adu, has advised the youth to be more interested in innovative technology because it holds enormous opportunities, including job creation, for people in the Volta Region.

He noted that some of the most enterprising individuals were emerging from the technology space and had armed themselves with innovative digital skills which were thriving in the creative economy.

Mr Adu, who spoke at the Local Start-up Investment Pitch Summit (LSIPS) in Ho last weekend said it was thus little wonder that the richest companies in the world were mostly in the technology space.

“The internet has opened up enormous opportunities for us and I hope and believe that we don’t limit ourselves to this space we are in. We are in a global village, which means that we are very close in terms of tech space and as such whatever we are doing here can affect people elsewhere across the world,” he said.

Summit

The Local Start-up Summit created an auspicious platform for investors, innovators and entrepreneurs who shared ideas, experiences and explored areas of mutual interest for collaboration to ensure the progress of the digital economy.

The summit was organised by a digital innovations organisation, Ho Node Hub, in partnership with the Ghana Tech Lab and with support from the Master Card Foundation, in cognisance of the need to create viable and sustainable jobs in the Volta Region and to honour local start-up efforts.

It was also geared at making the region more vibrant, accessible and inclusive for start-ups to initiate their growth.

Four local start-ups drawn from an earlier six-week digital media training organised by Ho Node Hub were provided with the platform to pitch their innovative ideas for funding.

During the period, the trainees gained invaluable knowledge in Digital Media, Digital Marketing, Photography, Videography, Sound Design, Content Creation and Compelling Storytelling.

Start-up pitches

The four teams, JWABS, EVAD, BETA and Sui Generics, pitched various innovative ideas for prospective investment, with the first two clinching the top awards, which included funding and a 10-week incubation and support to properly develop their ideas.

BETA and Sui Generics who placed 3rd and 4th respectively, would be moved onto the employability track, including a two-month paid internship in tech-based organisations.

The Managing Director of Ho Node Hub, Mr Courage Asase, said the LSIPS was significant to growing the start-up culture in the region and expressed optimism that cohorts from the programme, both past and present, would go on to make greater impact, especially in already existing businesses and also explore uncharted territories in the region.

He expressed gratitude to the Ghana Tech Lab and the MasterCard Foundation for the support and added that it was the goal of the hub to ensure a decreased level of graduate unemployment, while empowering the youth with critical innovative skills deemed essential in the current world of technological advancement.