Egrobots, an Egyptian startup that develops agricultural technology using robots and artificial intelligence, has won second place and a prize of €15,000 in the international finals of the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) competition. The competition, which is organized by the Orange Group, aims to support innovative projects that use information and communication technologies to improve the lives of people in Africa and the Middle East. Egrobots was one of the 17 finalists who qualified from the local competitions held by Orange subsidiaries in 17 countries. The finalists competed in front of an international jury during the MWC23 Global Mobile Conference, which took place in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 17 to 19, 2023. The jury evaluated the projects based on their social impact, feasibility, and sustainability. Egrobots impressed the jury with its platform that enables farmers to increase crop productivity, reduce resource consumption, and promote sustainable practices. The platform uses robots that can autonomously navigate through the fields, collect data, and perform various tasks such as weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting. The platform also uses artificial intelligence to analyze the data and provide recommendations to the farmers. The first place and a prize of €25,000 went to Adinkra, a Cameroonian company that produces biodegradable packaging materials from cassava starch. The third place and a prize of €10,000 went to Smart WTI, a Jordanian company that provides smart water management solutions for irrigation systems. The International Women's Award (€20,000) went to Bionic Soul, a Tunisian company that develops wearable devices for people with disabilities. The Jury Award (€10,000) went to a Cameroonian project that offers services for the elderly. Maha Nagy, Executive Vice President of Corporate Media, Communications, and Public Relations at Orange Egypt, congratulated Egrobots for their achievement and praised their innovative solution. She also stated that the OSVP competition is part of Orange's strategy to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide opportunities for startups to access funding and technical assistance. The OSVP competition was launched in 2011 and has since rewarded more than 47 projects and supported 90 entrepreneurs in various fields such as education, health, e-commerce, agriculture, and environment. The competition reflects Orange's commitment to social responsibility and digital inclusion in Africa and the Middle East.
