Counterfeit fighting company, mPedigree, was selected as one of five winners of the 2019 16th Annual Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.
mPedigree stood out for its use of technology to fight against counterfeiting and diversion of products such as medicines, cosmetics and fertiliser. With a product identification marker used by consumers to determine the authenticity of a product, the technology has benefited countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania and India.
The organisation was named alongside mental health support service, Crisis Text Line; initiative to address unemployment in South Africa, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator; platform to make medicine accessible in Africa, mPharma; and an initiative to defend children from sexual abuse, Thorn, all of whom were awarded Sh151m in core support investments to scale their work and increase their impact.
“These brave entrepreneurs are on the frontlines of solving the world’s most pressing problems. “Each social entrepreneur may have a distinct approach, but they all share a relentless pursuit of impact and the desire to create a more just world,” said Jeff Skoll, Founder and Chairman of the Skoll Foundation, which runs the Skoll world forum of social entrepreneurship, a premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
“These leaders have demonstrated how to spark transformative change to improve health, protect vulnerable individuals, and provide new opportunities for young people,” said Richard Fahey, who is the Interim President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation.