Two start-ups from the KNUST Africa Health Collaborative earned second place in their respective tracks at the inaugural AFYA Fest Hackathon held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dielle, founded by Deborah Oppong, and Visicane, developed by Akua Asare-Ankomah, both secured second-place finishes. Dielle, a plant-based hair care brand, competed in the Climate and Health track, while Visicane, a smart cane technology designed for the visually impaired, placed second in the Global Health Security track.

The hackathon was a highlight of AFYA Fest 2025, an annual health innovation festival hosted by Amref Health Africa under the Africa Health Collaborative.

This year’s event brought together more than 60 innovators and entrepreneurs from across the continent to co-develop solutions in four key areas: Maternal and Child Health, Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, Climate and Health, and Global Health Security.

KNUST was represented by five innovators and three faculty members. Alongside Dielle and Visicane, the other ventures were Quarilabs, Safeline, an AI-based medical diagnostic platform by Norbert Amankwaa; Tonitel, a health management system by Peter Tonka; and Tryai, an AI-powered optical imaging diagnostic platform by Toufiq Musah.

Three of KNUST’s ventures: Dielle, Tonitel, and Visicane advanced to the final stage, among 16 shortlisted from an initial pool of 60 entries. Participants also engaged in plenary sessions and panel discussions with senior health leaders.