Bossom Heart wins ECA, Access Bank hackathon pitch competition

Bossom Heart from Benin City, Edo state has emerged winner of Emerging Communities Africa (ECA), Access Bank and Brecan breast cancer hackathon idea pitch competition for start-ups.

The Bossom Heart team won with their idea of using an artificial intelligence based mobile and web application that provides diagnostics and preventive support on breast cancer to women, with ability to sync with smart wearable’s for effective diagnosis.

The team got N200, 000 as price award for the development of the idea into a working prototype as well as selection to join the inaugural cohort of the Akure tech hub in FUTA acceleration program courtesy of Access Bank, Nigeria.

“We have a road map for Akure to be one of the most preferred technological destinations for investment in West Africa by 2025, and one of the ways to achieve this is to have this hackathon addressing local and global problems,” Kitan David, co-founder, ECA said .

“Breast cancer hackathon is surely one of them as this is a major problem especially in Sub Saharan Africa,” David said.

The breast cancer hackathon idea pitch competition powered by Access Bank is an initiative of ECA in partnership with Brecan to democratise breast cancer diagnosis and advocacy process through technology.

The initiative started with a baseline survey to check for the level of awareness amongst women of breast cancer as well as the simple techniques they can use for self-examination.

35 teams from across Nigeria entered to pitch their idea on using technology to aid breast cancer early detection and prevention when the hackathon pitch competition was flagged off.

Six of the teams were shortlisted to participate in the final that was held recently at Curator hub, in Akure, Ondo state.

Other winners got an award plaque presented by the first lady of Ondo State, Arabirin Betty Akeredolu in the presence of other eminent dignitaries from Ondo state on the delegation of the first lady.