Entrepreneurs from Africa and the Middle East Earn Places in Annual ASME ISHOW Cohort with Affordable Healthcare, Clean Energy and Transportation Solutions
Entrepreneurs from Africa and the Middle East Earn Places in Annual ASME ISHOW Cohort with Affordable Healthcare, Clean Energy and Transportation Solutions
NEW YORK (June 14, 2023) – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has announced the regional winners of the 2023 ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW), the prestigious international accelerator of hardware-led social innovation. Eight social ventures from throughout Africa and the Middle East presented their design prototypes at ASME ISHOW Kenya held virtually June 6-14. Three of these ventures emerged as regional ISHOW Kenya winners who will share $30,000 (USD) in seed grants and receive technical support to help bring their design innovations to market.
The 2023 ASME ISHOW Kenya winners are:
“We are proud to offer a forum for engineering problem-solving that truly improves lives,” says Costabile. “We are continually impressed by the creative talent of ASME ISHOW participants, their focus on sustainable solutions, and their passion for helping underserved communities around the world.”
In addition to the three grand prize winners, the product with the most votes in social media for each regional ISHOW event is named the “Fan Favorite,” and receives $1,000 (USD). This prize is made possible and in memory of Byron G. Schieber Jr. M.S., PE, Professor Emeritus QCCNY, and Ruth L. Schieber. The 2023 ISHOW Kenya “Fan Favorite” winner is Timao Group (Nairobi, Kenya) for its “PORESI Builder” innovation that produces polymer-sand building materials to address Africa’s climate change and housing crisis using a modular design that enables quick-build structures ranging from homes to shops and classrooms, providing affordable and durable building solutions.
More information on the ISHOW Kenya 2023 finalists can be found on the ASME ISHOW website. ASME hosted ISHOW India in Bengaluru as part of ASME Innovation Weekend India in April and will host ISHOW USA for social ventures from the Americas, July 18-26.
The prestigious ASME ISHOW hardware accelerator is open to individuals and organizations taking physical products to market that will have a positive social and/or environmental impact and that improve the quality of life around the world. To date, ISHOW has enabled over 200 startups from more than 30 countries to solve critical quality-of-life challenges for vulnerable populations worldwide. ISHOW alumni have developed affordable devices to address issues including clean combustion, crop threshing, fetal health, food waste prevention, health diagnostics, safe drinking water, and many more that address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
ASME ISHOW annually matches 24 carefully selected innovators with appropriate experts to ensure that the proposed hardware solutions are technologically, environmentally, culturally, and financially sustainable. The 2023 ASME ISHOW Kenya judges and facilitators include experts in research, mechanical engineering and product design, manufacturing, startup financing, supply chain, and business strategy, representing organizations including Gearbox, Villgro Africa, Sun King, Philips, Net Zero Afrika, Afrinet Capital LLC, Kenyatta University, Strathmore, BuildX Studio, and Earth Tech Ventures. These subject matter experts provide technical and strategic guidance based on ISHOW’s five key pillars: customer/user knowledge, hardware validation, manufacturing optimization, implementation strategy, and sustainability/impact.
ASME is grateful to The Lemelson Foundation for its continued support of the ISHOW with a three-year strategic investment and to ISHOW implementation partners around the globe. Learn more about ISHOW’s global impact in this dynamic dashboard.
Hear from the ISHOW 2022 cohort about their experiences. Follow the journeys of ISHOW alumni including PlenOptika, Himalayan Rocket Stove, SAYeTECH and others here.
@ASMEISHOW #ISHOW23 #ThisIsHardware
About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community, and later established the holding company, Global Knowledge Solutions LLC. For more information, visit www.asme.org.
@ASMEdotorg
About the ASME Foundation
The ASME Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting an array of programs in three core pillars: engineering education, career engagement, and global development. With the goal of empowering tomorrow's technical workforce, the ASME Foundation advances equitable access both to professional opportunities and to engineering innovations that improve quality of life. For more information, visit www.asmefoundation.org.
Monica Shovlin
MCShovlin Communications LLC (for ASME)
monica@mcshovlin.com
+1.541.554.3796
The 2023 ASME ISHOW Kenya winners are:
- Alcoford Corporation (Lomé, Togo) for its “Dehydrated Cost-Effective Ethanol Process” – an innovative process that converts cassava and post-harvest losses into ethanol through the intervention of multilevel distillation technology, helping women farmers earn better
- A-Lite Uganda Limited (Mbarara, Uganda) for its “A-Lite Vein Locator” – a non-invasive medical device that uses red light to provide easy access to patients’ veins
- ClearExhaust LLC (Doha, Qatar) for its “Smokeless Exhaust Tube” – a diesel engine filter capable of eliminating 100% of smoke emissions and reducing other greenhouse gases by ~30%.
“We are proud to offer a forum for engineering problem-solving that truly improves lives,” says Costabile. “We are continually impressed by the creative talent of ASME ISHOW participants, their focus on sustainable solutions, and their passion for helping underserved communities around the world.”
In addition to the three grand prize winners, the product with the most votes in social media for each regional ISHOW event is named the “Fan Favorite,” and receives $1,000 (USD). This prize is made possible and in memory of Byron G. Schieber Jr. M.S., PE, Professor Emeritus QCCNY, and Ruth L. Schieber. The 2023 ISHOW Kenya “Fan Favorite” winner is Timao Group (Nairobi, Kenya) for its “PORESI Builder” innovation that produces polymer-sand building materials to address Africa’s climate change and housing crisis using a modular design that enables quick-build structures ranging from homes to shops and classrooms, providing affordable and durable building solutions.
More information on the ISHOW Kenya 2023 finalists can be found on the ASME ISHOW website. ASME hosted ISHOW India in Bengaluru as part of ASME Innovation Weekend India in April and will host ISHOW USA for social ventures from the Americas, July 18-26.
The prestigious ASME ISHOW hardware accelerator is open to individuals and organizations taking physical products to market that will have a positive social and/or environmental impact and that improve the quality of life around the world. To date, ISHOW has enabled over 200 startups from more than 30 countries to solve critical quality-of-life challenges for vulnerable populations worldwide. ISHOW alumni have developed affordable devices to address issues including clean combustion, crop threshing, fetal health, food waste prevention, health diagnostics, safe drinking water, and many more that address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
ASME ISHOW annually matches 24 carefully selected innovators with appropriate experts to ensure that the proposed hardware solutions are technologically, environmentally, culturally, and financially sustainable. The 2023 ASME ISHOW Kenya judges and facilitators include experts in research, mechanical engineering and product design, manufacturing, startup financing, supply chain, and business strategy, representing organizations including Gearbox, Villgro Africa, Sun King, Philips, Net Zero Afrika, Afrinet Capital LLC, Kenyatta University, Strathmore, BuildX Studio, and Earth Tech Ventures. These subject matter experts provide technical and strategic guidance based on ISHOW’s five key pillars: customer/user knowledge, hardware validation, manufacturing optimization, implementation strategy, and sustainability/impact.
ASME is grateful to The Lemelson Foundation for its continued support of the ISHOW with a three-year strategic investment and to ISHOW implementation partners around the globe. Learn more about ISHOW’s global impact in this dynamic dashboard.
Hear from the ISHOW 2022 cohort about their experiences. Follow the journeys of ISHOW alumni including PlenOptika, Himalayan Rocket Stove, SAYeTECH and others here.
@ASMEISHOW #ISHOW23 #ThisIsHardwareAbout ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community, and later established the holding company, Global Knowledge Solutions LLC. For more information, visit www.asme.org.
@ASMEdotorgAbout the ASME Foundation
The ASME Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting an array of programs in three core pillars: engineering education, career engagement, and global development. With the goal of empowering tomorrow's technical workforce, the ASME Foundation advances equitable access both to professional opportunities and to engineering innovations that improve quality of life. For more information, visit www.asmefoundation.org.
###
Media Contact:Monica Shovlin
MCShovlin Communications LLC (for ASME)
monica@mcshovlin.com
+1.541.554.3796
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