NAIROBI, 30 May 2019 – A team of young innovators taking part in “The UN-Habitat Internet of Things (IoT) for Sustainable Development Makerthon” competition on addressing urban challenges won for their indoor air quality solution. Their device measures the air quality index based on the levels of carbon monoxide, smoke and particulate matter. The technological solution ensures that users both at home, in the office and anyone moving around has the ability to breathe clean air.

For six days, young innovators from science, technology, engineering and Information Communication and Technology addressed urban challenges in water quality, air quality and mobility. They set out to develop solutions to be used in accelerating the development of smart cities.

A bench of seven judges determined that Bezalel had the best innovative solution. Other teams were SAJ Fellows, Neptune, Linda Maji, Gjenge and Actuaries in Tech. The judges said the teams worked hard to develop these prototypes and emphasized the importance of sustainability.

SAJ Fellows team came second offering “Qualiter”, a water quality monitoring device that checks the turbidity, pH, and temperature of water to determine the quality index and safety. Neptune and Linda Maji teams tied for the third position. All the runners-up teams looked at monitoring water quality in the region using different indices. Neptune used the electrical conductivity to identify the pollutants, whereas, Linda Maji’s solution not only monitored pollution but also gave a control mechanism to prevent further pollution at the source.

Participants will be supported by Liquid Telecom through partnerships with Strathmore University, Nairobi and University of Nairobi as well as other startup incubators, like Pangea Accelerator. There will be discussions with water and transport operators and county government officials to explore partnerships to support the seeding and scaling up of these startups.