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Five African startups have been named by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) in the GEW 50, the list of finalists for the global Startup Open competition.

One winner will be chosen in the next few days from the 50 finalists of the Startup Open to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Medellin, Colombia, where they will attend the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in March 2016.

The selected African startups are Cameroonian jobs platform 1Task1Job, Kenyan LED solar powered television system manufacturer Angaza Boma, Kenyan power-saving washing technology firm CleanLee Kenya, Nigerian m-health startup OMOMI, and Kenyan solar powered farm automation system manufacturer Illuminum Greenhouses.

Finalists were selected representing 20 countries and a broad spectrum of industries, with GEW 50 entrepreneurs leading ventures in biotechnology, agribusiness, energy, finance, and health and wellness, among other sectors.

“With this group of promising new startups, you see individuals and cofounder teams who are ready to make the leap to the global stage, ” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network.

“These and other new and young firms like them are driving innovation, solving real-world challenges and driving economic growth in all corners of the world – not just in Silicon Valley.”

Last year’s winner was BreezoMeter, from Israel, for its application that measures real-time air quality and provides health recommendations to its users. The app currently maps air quality levels through Israel and the United States.

More than 800 startups from 39 countries entered the competition and were judged on their concept and growth projections for their businesses as well as their knowledge of their industries.

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