Morocco’s MIRRIAH and Uganda’s Freza Nanotech Win SANAD Accelerator Prizes

Morocco’s MIRRIAH, Uganda’s Freza Nanotech and Jordan’s SmartWTI have won prizes in the SANAD ElevateHer accelerator, which has selected 22 startups from Africa and the Middle East for additional support to develop their businesses and prepare for investment.

The winners were announced on October 4 at a Seedstars Villa networking event, following a pitching session at Techne Summit Alexandria in Egypt on October 3. The programme is run by Seedstars with funding from the SANAD Fund for MSME, whose advisory and capacity-building arm is managed by Finance in Motion.

Solar Irrigation and Food Preservation Among Winning Solutions

MIRRIAH’s business centres on solar-powered irrigation for smallholder farmers. Under CEO Nidal Tafah, the Moroccan company also trains rural women and young people to install and sell its systems, creating a route for local workers to participate in the distribution of irrigation technology.

Freza Nanotech, represented by chief operating officer Samantha Ainembabazi, is developing ways to preserve fruit and vegetables in markets where reliable cold storage is not readily available. Its products target a problem faced by farmers and food traders who need to keep produce fresh for longer.

SmartWTI, led by CEO Hebah Asa’d, took third prize for its water-monitoring technology. The Jordanian company uses connected sensors to measure consumption and identify leaks, giving users information that can help them detect water losses.

The three companies were recognised during the accelerator’s latest selection process, which brought together startups working across different markets and stages of development.

Kenya and Ghana Contribute Four Startups Each

The 22 selected businesses come from nine markets. Kenya and Ghana have the largest representation, with four startups each.

Kenya’s group comprises Riziki Nature Based Solutions, Soko Kijiji, VunaPay and Wavu. The Ghanaian startups are Biowax, Gardpath Technologies, Sackan Farms and SmartWatt Company.

Morocco and Tunisia each have three companies in the cohort. Alongside MIRRIAH, Morocco is represented by Jafife and SMART COLLECTE. Tunisia’s participants are E-Tafakna, GoToGreen and Pixii Motors.

Egypt’s selected startups are EcoDahab and TSNGF. Uganda has two representatives, Freza Nanotech and Essymart Africa, while Zimbabwe’s Nyamula Logistics Solutions also made the list. Jordan has two participants, including SmartWTI, and one startup from Lebanon completes the group.

Accelerator Prepares Founders for Their Next Stage

ElevateHer supports 38 startups across Africa and the Middle East, from businesses developing prototypes to those preparing to expand. It prioritises women-led ventures and companies that create opportunities for women through ownership, leadership, employment or their customer base.

Before the latest selection, participants took part in mentoring and business development activities. Training in Marrakech covered pricing, unit economics, sales and investor readiness. A bootcamp ahead of the Alexandria event gave founders time to refine their pitches with input from coaches, investors and fellow entrepreneurs.

The 22 startups selected to progress will receive further coaching and investment-readiness assistance, including support with fundraising, partnership development and scaling their operations.

Sabrina Salama, MENA partnerships lead at Seedstars, said the programme focuses on the practical decisions founders must make when taking a product to market.

“Making technology work for customers means deciding who installs it, how it is delivered and what people can afford to pay. We help founders test those choices and build a business around them,” Salama said.