Chancellor's Innovation Fund

UNAM Telecom Namibia Innovation Call

Are you a UNAM staff or student with an innovative idea or prototype with potential for commercialisation? Can your idea or invention be technologically enhanced to provide a marketable solution that improves the wellbeing of society and can it lead to employment creation? Here is your chance to take it to market! If your answer is yes, the partnership between UNAM and Telecom Namibia under the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund invites you to submit your proposal for mentoring, coaching, and funding.

Your invention or innovation could be supported with coaching, mentoring and incubation services to the amount of N$100 000.00.

Download Call Application Form

About the Fund

The University of Namibia through its core business of innovation, training, research and community service established the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund to provide young entrepreneurs with the resources and ecosystem to develop the potential of their innovative ideas.

The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund [ CIF] is an incubation programme geared to equip staff, students and researchers at the university of Namibia with the capacity to boost Namibia’s ingenuity and economic development through mentorship, capacity building, product development and innovation idealisation for a period of 12 Months.

Incubation training includes among others:

  • Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Teams Profiling Exercises
  • Business Model Canvas
  • Pitching
  • Financial Planning & Management

Objective of the Fund

CIF seeks to implement and commercialise technology-based disruptive innovations that utilise artificial intelligence and aims to:

Our Partners

The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund was established with the generous sponsorship of Telecom Namibia and support of the University of Turku, Google and UNDP Accelerator.
Each partner has played an integral role in establishing the incubation hub at the University of Namibia’s Main Campus and facilitating skill transfer during 12 months the incubation period.

Our Projects

Incubation Journey: 21 Cohort

Oshnae Investment

Oshnae Investment specialises in crushing, milling and packaging of potato flour in Namibia as well as growing potato and other horticulture products. The Namibian market does not have an alternative product to wheat flour. Therefore, Oshnae identified the gap by enriching potato flour that can withstand long shelve life too. Its mission is therefore to supply quality organic food that improves health, create employment, improve community welfare and ensure food security in Namibia.

Project Leader(s) Mr Serak Shidhudhu, Ms Naemi Likius

University Online Admission System

The team is developing a prospective student portal that will allow Faculty officers or student record officers to do a final verification of submitted documents using an eligibility checker algorithm to find out if an applicant qualify for admission to the university based on the Namibian final grade 12 results using learner candidate numbers. Faculty officers or student record officers to update admission status on the system and auto generate a proof of full admission online per applicant (prospective student), which will be accessible at any given time.

Project Leader(s) Mr Titus Haiduwa, Ms Maria Ntinda, Ms Kondja Kapenambili

Health Information System

The Health Information System’s main objective is to create an integrated system of services usually done at health care facilities by improving how those services are handled between patients and healthcare practitioners digitally. The system will mainly keep records of services rendered, bills, patient’s health history and appointments or bookings.

Project Leader(s) Mr Andreas Itana

Namibia EduQuiz

The project concept is to develop an SMS-based, gamified quiz and learning support web platform to help Namibian high school learners to prepare for the external school exams. Alongside the quiz, the team is developing a web-based platform with the learning content.

Project Leader(s) Collin Hangula

SkyFood

SkyFood is in the process of building a Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), which will inturn be paired with a drone for the purpose of fast-food delivery services.

Project Leader(s) Mr Nafimane Erastus, Ms Rosalisa Zacarias

Our Team

Meet the UNAM incubation management team

Dr John Sifani

Director: Innovation Development Accelerator

+264 61 206 3466jsifani@unam.na

Leonard Imane

Coordinator: Innovation and Business Development

+264 61 206 3705 limene@unam.na

Mr Jona Katembo

Coordinator: Acceleration Services

+264 61 206 3231jkatembo@unam.na

Ms Selma Fortunato

Coordinator: Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property

+264 61 206 3231sfortunato@unam.na