Winner announcement · 5 October 2026
SANAD ElevateHer: Seedstars-led accelerator selects 22 startups across the Middle East and Africa
MIRRIAH, SmartWTI and Freza Nanotech win cash prizes for solar irrigation, water monitoring and food preservation solutions.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Oct 5, 2026: SANAD ElevateHer has selected 22 startups for further coaching and investment-readiness support following pitches at Techne Summit Alexandria at Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Oct 3, 2026. Morocco’s MIRRIAH, Jordan’s SmartWTI and Uganda’s Freza Nanotech received the program’s three cash prizes, announced the following evening at the Seedstars Villa, a networking event for founders, partners and the entrepreneurship community. The winners are included in the 22 selected businesses.
MIRRIAH, led by CEO Nidal Tafah, supplies solar irrigation to smallholder farmers and trains rural women and young people to install and sell its systems. SmartWTI, led by CEO Hebah Asa'd, uses connected sensors to monitor water consumption and detect leaks. Freza Nanotech, represented by COO Samantha Ainembabazi, develops products designed to preserve fruit and vegetables where cold storage is limited.
SANAD ElevateHer is delivered by Seedstars. This project is funded by the SANAD Fund for MSME through its advisory and capacity-building arm, which is managed by Finance in Motion GmbH. The program supports 38 startups from prototype development to growth stage, including women-led companies and businesses that expand women’s participation through ownership, leadership, employment or their customer base. It aims to address the capital constraints facing women entrepreneurs by helping founders strengthen their businesses, prepare for financing and build connections with investors and SANAD’s network of partner financial institutions.
The first phase combined workshops, individual mentoring and practical work on business models and growth. Training in Marrakech covered pricing and unit economics, business development, sales and investor readiness. Ahead of the Alexandria competition, a founders bootcamp focused on reviewing program milestones and refining investor and partner pitches through structured peer feedback and guidance from coaches and investors. The pitching marked a milestone in that acceleration journey.
The 22 selected businesses across nine participating markets will now receive further coaching and investment-readiness support, including tailored guidance on fundraising, partnerships and scaling.
The 22 selected startups
Egypt: EcoDahab, sustainability assessments for small businesses; TSNGF, plant-waste biofilters for wastewater reuse.
Ghana: Biowax Ghana Limited, edible produce coatings; Gardpath Technologies, livestock diagnostic kits; Sackan Farms, data-informed poultry production; SmartWatt Company Limited, electric vehicle conversions and practical training.
Jordan: Mknooon, training and incubation for artisan entrepreneurs; SmartWTI, connected water monitoring and leak detection.
Kenya: Riziki Nature Based Solutions Limited (Kenya/GCC), mesquite fuel and biochar for land restoration; Soko Kijiji, digital market access for women traders; VunaPay Solutions Limited, cooperative operations, farmer payments and financial services; Wavu, WhatsApp-based fish-farming inputs, logistics and support.
Lebanon: GARBALISER SAL, biomass-derived agricultural inputs.
Morocco: Jafife, solar drying to reduce food loss; MIRRIAH, solar irrigation and local installation capacity; SMART COLLECTE, automated recycling with consumer rewards.
Tunisia: E-Tafakna, digital contracts for SMEs and freelancers; GoToGreen, product carbon footprints and digital passports; Pixii Motors, battery swapping for electric two-wheelers.
Uganda: Essymart Africa, agricultural inputs, training and market access; Freza Nanotech, produce preservation products.
Zimbabwe: Nyamula Logistics Solutions, digital freight matching, coordination and tracking.
“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,” said Sabrina Salama, MENA Partnerships Lead at Seedstars.
About SANAD ElevateHer
SANAD ElevateHer is delivered by Seedstars to support women-led businesses and companies applying a strong gender lens in MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa through business development and investment-readiness support. This project is funded by the SANAD Fund for MSME through its advisory and capacity-building arm, which is managed by Finance in Motion GmbH. Program information: Program details
About SANAD
The SANAD Fund for MSME finances micro, small, and medium enterprises and low-income households in the Middle East and North Africa and selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa via qualified local lenders. SANAD thereby fosters economic development and job creation – including youth employment – agriculture, affordable housing, and innovations in finance and financial technologies. SANAD strives to meet these goals by providing debt and equity financing to its local partners. The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility multiplies the fund’s development impact and outreach through capacity-building with partner institutions, developing financial infrastructures according to the principles of responsible finance and conducting much required R&D.
An impact investment fund managed by Finance in Motion, SANAD’s investors include the KfW Development Bank, which initiated the fund; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the European Union; Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO); OeEB, the Development Bank of Austria; Germany’s GLS Bank and GLS Treuhand; the Dutch development bank FMO; and Calvert Impact Capital.
For more information on the SANAD Fund for MSME, please visit: www.sanad.lu
About Finance in Motion
Finance in Motion is a global impact asset manager focused exclusively on sustainable development in emerging markets and developing economies. The company structures, manages, and advises impact investment funds that bring together public and private investors to address climate change, strengthen biodiversity conservation, foster the sustainable use of natural resources, improve livelihoods, and promote economic opportunities.
For more information, please visit: www.finance-in-motion.com
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About Seedstars
Seedstars supports entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems in emerging markets through programs, partnerships and investment activities. Learn more at https://www.seedstars.com/.
Explore company and founder profiles at Founder Atlas and learn about the program at Program details.
For photographs or interview enquiries, contact Michaela Villaroman, Global PR and Media Relations, Seedstars, at [email protected].