The Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) Challenge’s first cohort is getting ready for their upcoming visit to Toronto, where they will continue their implementation phase through activities targeting business development, expanding entrepreneurial networks and facilitating exposure to potential investors.
In the meantime, the HENT Communications team caught up with the ventures from the first HENT Challenge cohort to learn more about the origins of their companies, what they’ve learned to date, and what is coming up next…
Ariane Umuringa (CEO), Alexis Juma (COO), Lawrence Njihia (CFO), and Peter Musyoki (CTO) were drawn together by their shared drive to create impactful solutions for Africa’s 33 million small-holder farmers. They founded Lima Technologies, a venture informed by their shared backgrounds as the children and grandchildren of farmers. They knew that small-holder farmers never seemed to earn what was commensurate to their efforts and often did not know where best to sell their products. This lack of knowledge caused many farmers to miss out on opportunities to earn money and created food waste as buyers were unaware of where to source produce outside of the market.
Through Lima Technologies web application, they aim to tackle nutrition and supply chain inefficiencies of food in Africa through a centralized digital platform that allows for food predictability, traceability, and reliability by leveraging data, allowing enterprises to better feed Africa’s 1.2 billion people and empowering farmers to earn from their produce. The Lima Technologies web application allows farmer produce to be posted and enables buyers to browse through a catalogue of available produce, make a payment, and have their produce directly delivered to them—all within their platform.
What is the accomplishment to date that your team is most proud of?
Lima Technologies is most proud of their first ever sale, which was for 5 tons of sunflowers. This first sale was to a client who became a recurring customer who uses their platform for each harvest. Another proud milestone is the development of their minimum viable product that they are using to do pilot projects with farmers and buyers.
If you could give advice to another founder getting started, what would that be?
“Do not be afraid of failure when innovating. If anything, fail fast and learn faster.”
Lima Technologies will be officially launched their product in May 2023. Looking forward to the next two years, the venture is looking to onboard more than 10,000 farmers onto their platform and expand their service to include storage and farm input access.
You can learn more about Lima Technologies by visiting their website.
You can learn more about Lima Technologies
More News & Events
Skip scroller content
Leading Change Through Lived Experience
Across Africa, an emerging generation of health leaders is transforming personal challenges into powerful innovations. Through the AHC’s Young Leaders Committee, young researchers, entrepreneurs, technologists, and advocates are drawing on lived experiences with illness, caregiving, mental health, and healthcare inequities to design solutions that strengthen health systems and expand access to care.
2027-2028 Doctor of Public Health Scholarships Open
We are pleased to announce the start of the 2027-2028 Mastercard Foundation graduate scholarship recruitment at the University of Toronto. This doctoral scholarship opportunity is open to recent alumni and graduating students at our Africa Health Collaborative partner universities. These graduate scholarships will be awarded to individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence in associated health-related disciplines […]
Health Innovation as a Pathway to Africa’s Health Sovereignty
Join the next HiAS as Dr. Robert Karanja explores how talent, research, investment, policy, and partnerships can unlock Africa’s potential in digital health, biotechnology, and deep-tech innovation.
Apply for Research Seed Grants from Moi University and the University of Toronto
Apply for the Research Seed Grants by Moi University and the University of Toronto. Eligible researchers can receive up to CAD $5,000 in seed funding to strengthen research capacity, generate new knowledge, and foster long-term institutional collaborations.
Ubuntu Rising: A Youth Leadership Summit for Africa’s Health Future
Ahead of the 18th World Congress on Public Health, Ubuntu Rising will bring together young African health leaders, innovators, and changemakers to co-create a shared agenda for youth leadership, employment, and innovation in health across the continent.
Young Leaders Redefining What Health Work in Africa Means
This International Youth Day, read about how the AHC’s young leaders are challenging traditional ideas and reimagining health work, strengthening health systems, and building the future of healthcare across Africa.
Associate Director, AHC Programs
Apply for this senior leadership role with the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) to lead regional programs, strengthen partnerships, and advance health leadership, education, and innovation across Africa.
Turning Research into Policies that Improve Health and Wellbeing
Join Dr. Collins Okoyo, Principal Statistician at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), as he shares practical lessons on bridging the gap between research and policy, drawing on over a decade of experience in health data science, epidemiology, and disease modelling.
Addis Ababa University and Moi University Formalize Partnership to Advance Africa’s Health Workforce
Addis Ababa University and Moi University have signed a Memorandum of Agreement under the Africa Health Collaborative, establishing a strategic partnership to strengthen health education, research, innovation, and workforce development. The collaboration will create new opportunities for students, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs across Africa.
Building Bridges for Safer Births: How Funmi Odushola connects trusted community caregivers with formal healthcare in Nigeria
Safe childbirth often depends on more than access to a health facility—it depends on trust. In Nigeria, Funmi Odushola is helping build bridges between traditional community caregivers and the formal health system to support healthier pregnancies and safer births.