By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian cold storage startup, ColdHubs, has been named winner of the Sustainable and Healthy Food for All category at the annual Global Maker Challenge, taking home $100,000 in prize money.
Each year, the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity runs the Global Maker Challenge, with this year’s four challenges related to the themes of Innovation for Peace and Justice, Sustainable and Healthy Food for All, Innovation for Inclusive Trade, and Climate Change.
At its first-ever virtual award ceremony, held at the United Arab Emirates (UAE), four winners and eight runners-up were selected to receive monetary prizes, mentorship, and access to global organisations worth up to $1 million.
ColdHubs was selected as the Sustainable and Healthy Food for All winner, banking a $100,000 cash prize.
Founded in July 2015 by young farmer and social entrepreneur, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, the startup produces cold rooms and sells them to smallholder farmers, retailers and wholesalers to store and preserve fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishable foods, extending their shelf life from two days to 21.
Business Post had reported earlier that ColdHubs won this year’s edition of FCMB Agritech EPIC Pitch 2020 competition, receiving N1 million in prize money as well as access to workspace and networks for innovation and collaboration.
