Folake Owodunni from Nigeria has emerged as the winner of the most prestigious award, the Global Aurora Tech Award 2024, for her groundbreaking startup, Emergency Response Africa. The announcement of Owodunni’s triumph coincided with the celebration of International Women’s Day. Emergency Response Africa is dedicated to making healthcare accessible in Africa. This innovative solution provides sustainable and scalable emergency medical services, addressing critical needs in the region
Speaking on the significance of Owodunni’s achievement, Head of Aurora Tech Award, Ekaterina Smirnova remarked that the recognition is a constant reminder of the pivotal role of women in bringing about change and innovation.
“We celebrate the remarkable achievements of Folake Owodunni, Hannah Töpler, and Sarah Phiri-Molema. Their groundbreaking startups not only address critical needs in their communities but also serve as local role models, inspiring change and fostering innovation. These awards play a vital role in providing much-needed recognition to women in the tech industry, amplifying their contributions, and paving the way for greater gender equality and diversity in innovation,” Smirnova said.
The Aurora Tech Award 2024, founded in 2020 by inDrive, a US-based global mobility and urban services platform, received an unprecedented 694 applications from 102 countries this year, underscoring the global impact of women in technology and innovation.
In addition to the prestigious recognition, the winners of the Aurora Tech Award 2024 will receive cash prizes of $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively, along with access to an inDrive mentorship program.
Folake Owodunni’s triumph at the Aurora Tech Award 2024 serves as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring women entrepreneurs worldwide, highlighting the transformative power of innovation and determination in driving positive change.
Aurora Tech Award is a non-profit initiative of inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform. The Aurora Tech Award is an award for women tech startup founders whose projects have had a profound impact on global development. TThe objective is to support women entrepreneurs and fight gender bias in venture capital.
inDrive is a global mobility and urban services platform. The inDrive app has been downloaded over 200 million times, and was the second most downloaded mobility app in 2023. In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides an expanding list of urban services, including intercity transportation, freight delivery, task assistance and courier delivery. In 2023, inDrive launched New Ventures, a venture and M&A arm.
inDrive operates in over 700 cities in 46 countries. Driven by its mission of challenging social injustice, the company is committed to having a positive impact on the lives of one billion people by 2030. It pursues this goal both through its core business, which supports local communities via a fair pricing model; and through the work of inVision, its non-profit arm. inVision’s community empowerment programs help to advance education, sports, arts and sciences, gender equality and other vital initiatives.
