Folake has a Master’s in Global Health & Development from University College London and a Master’s in Business Entrepreneurship & Technology (MBET) from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and is certified as a First Responder with the Canadian Red Cross.

ERA connects individuals experiencing a medical emergency to the largest network of First Responders, ambulances, and hospitals through technology.

Since inception, ERA has managed over 4,500 incidents, reducing response times by 40%-80%, and helping to save lives. ERA partners with innovative governments such as the Edo state government to enhance medical emergency responsiveness in the public sector.

With over 15 years of experience in healthcare, marketing communications, and management consulting across Nigeria, the United States, and Canada, Folake has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work including the Aurora Tech Award, Google Black Founders Fund, JICA’s Next Innovation with Japan Award, and The Professor Grace Alele-Williams Alumni Impact Award by Women in Successful Career (WISCAR).

Folake Owodunni is a catalyst for positive change in the healthcare sector.

Excerpt: 

TE: What has your tech journey been like before winning the 2024 Aurora Tech Award?

Folake Owodunni: My tech journey has been a blend of passion, persistence, and a desire to solve real-world problems. Before winning the 2024 Aurora Tech Award, I had a background in public health, but my interest in technology grew as I saw its potential to address significant healthcare gaps in Africa.

My experience with Emergency Response Africa (ERA) has allowed me to merge my public health expertise with innovative technology to create a solution that addresses the urgent need for fast and reliable emergency medical services.

Getting to this point wasn’t easy. I had to navigate (and am still navigating) a variety of challenges, including funding constraints, regulatory hurdles, and building a reliable technology infrastructure. I learned to collaborate with a diverse team of experts, engage with stakeholders, and find creative ways to keep pushing forward despite setbacks.

Winning the Aurora Tech Award is a significant milestone, validating the hard work and dedication of our team. However, it’s also a reminder that there’s much more to do, and I’m excited to continue the journey with renewed energy and purpose.

TE: Tell us a little about Emergency Response Africa and how tech is enabling the delivery of sustainable and scalable emergency medical services in Africa.

Folake Owodunni: Emergency Response Africa (ERA) is a health tech company dedicated to transforming emergency medical services in Africa.

Our mission is to connect anyone experiencing a medical emergency to a vast network of first responders, ambulances, and hospitals, ensuring rapid and reliable medical care. Technology plays a central role in enabling us to deliver scalable and sustainable services.

We leverage mobile apps and a toll-free hotline to connect users with our network of community-based first responders. Our dispatch system ensures that the closest available responders and ambulances are deployed, significantly reducing response times.

Through real-time tracking and seamless communication, we can navigate logistical challenges and ensure patients receive timely care. ERA’s tech-driven approach also allows us to collect valuable data on emergency cases, which we use to improve our services and collaborate with stakeholders.

By analyzing this data, we can identify trends, optimize resource allocation, and continuously refine our processes. This approach not only makes our services more efficient but also contributes to broader public health objectives.

Our focus on scalability ensures that we can expand our reach across Africa. Partnerships with government agencies and private sector stakeholders enable us to integrate our technology into existing healthcare systems, creating a sustainable model for emergency medical services.

By embracing technology, ERA is making a lasting impact on healthcare delivery in Africa.

TE: How do you feel being the winner of this year’s Aurora Tech Award and what does it mean to you?

Folake Owodunni: Winning this year’s Aurora Tech Award is a great honour and a deeply meaningful recognition of the hard work, innovation, and dedication that have gone into building Emergency Response Africa.

This award validates the vision and mission that our team has pursued with passion and resilience. It’s a significant milestone that highlights our commitment to using technology to solve real-world problems and save lives.

Winning this award on International Women’s Day holds special significance for me, as it aligns with my longstanding involvement in women’s professional groups, both as a mentee and mentor.

It reaffirms the importance of acknowledging and supporting the remarkable contributions of women in the tech industry, and I look forward to more opportunities not only to be recognized but also to honour other women who are making significant strides in their fields.

Beyond personal satisfaction, this award provides ERA with a broader platform to share our story and reach a wider audience. It opens doors to new opportunities, partnerships, and resources that will enable us to expand our impact across Africa.

This recognition reinforces our belief in the transformative power of technology and strengthens our resolve to make a lasting difference in emergency medical services. I’m excited about the journey ahead and look forward to leveraging this recognition to further our mission.

TE: How do you intend to utilize the fund received as winner of the award?

Folake Owodunni: We will use the funds to advance key strategic goals. First, we’ll invest in AI, to optimize our dispatching and resource allocation. This will allow us to provide quicker and more efficient emergency responses.

Second, a portion of the funding will help expand our network of first responders through training programs, enhancing our service quality. Finally, part of the funding will support marketing and outreach to increase awareness and attract more partners, both in the corporate and government sectors.

The Aurora Tech Award funding is timely and will go a long way in helping us provide faster and more reliable emergency medical services across Africa.

TE: Africa as a continent is still largely underdeveloped. How well do you see your innovative ideas revolutionizing the continent’s health sector?

Folake Owodunni: Africa’s health sector has tremendous potential for innovation but also faces unique challenges that demand creative solutions. Emergency Response Africa (ERA) is dedicated to addressing critical gaps in emergency medical services through a multi-faceted approach.

Our technology-driven solutions connect individuals experiencing medical emergencies to a network of first responders, ambulances, and hospitals within minutes.

This approach is scalable and sustainable, allowing us to adapt to various regions across Africa. By training and deploying Community-Based First Responders (CBFRs), ERA ensures faster response times and improved health outcomes, empowering local populations to take an active role in healthcare access.

We also leverage public-private partnerships, collaborating with government agencies and private sector stakeholders to extend our reach into underserved communities. Our data-driven insights, collected through our technology platform, allow us to identify trends and optimize resource allocation, contributing to a more efficient healthcare system.

By focusing on these core elements, ERA aims to revolutionize Africa’s health sector, providing a sustainable framework for continuous improvement. As we expand, we hope to inspire others to adopt similar models, driving broader transformation across the continent.

TE: Going by some of the innovative ideas you have seen from women-led tech start-ups, do you think it’s time venture capitalists took a big risk on women in the tech space?

Folake Owodunni: It’s high time venture capitalists reframed their view of risk on women-led tech start-ups. These start-ups are proving to be innovative, resilient, and capable of addressing unique market needs. Women entrepreneurs bring diverse perspectives, which often lead to creative solutions and open doors to new markets.

By supporting women-led ventures, venture capitalists can tap into this diversity, which can foster innovation and potentially drive high returns on investment.

Investing in women-led start-ups also aligns with a broader social impact agenda. Many women entrepreneurs focus on solving real-world problems in sectors like healthcare, education, and sustainability, bringing positive change to their communities.

This focus on social impact can attract a growing base of customers and investors interested in purpose-driven businesses, adding further value to these ventures.

Moreover, supporting women-led tech start-ups contributes to closing the gender gap in the tech industry, fostering a more inclusive ecosystem.

This creates a virtuous cycle, encouraging more women to pursue entrepreneurship and tech careers, ultimately enriching the industry with a broader range of ideas and experiences.

For venture capitalists, the question is not about taking a bigger risk—it’s about recognizing the opportunity for growth, social impact, and a more balanced tech landscape. Now is the time to invest in women-led tech start-ups and be part of the change.

TE: The tech space being male-dominated, do you see the Aurora Tech award changing the narrative or breaking down the barriers, thereby drumming support for women-led tech start-ups going forward?

Folake Owodunni: By recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in technology, the award highlights the significant contributions women are making in an industry where they have traditionally been underrepresented. This recognition helps challenge the stereotype that tech is a “man’s world” and demonstrates that women are not only capable of thriving in the tech space but are also leading innovation and driving change.

Being shortlisted as a finalist for the Aurora Tech Award provides visibility and credibility for women-led tech start-ups, opening doors to new opportunities for funding, partnerships, and mentorship. It creates a platform for women entrepreneurs to share their stories, inspire others, and build a supportive community.

Beyond the increased visibility, the cash prize places a clear value on the women’s enterprises and can help attract more investment and support for women-led ventures, signaling to venture capitalists and industry leaders that investing in women is both a smart business decision and a way to promote diversity and inclusion.

By celebrating women’s achievements, the award sends a powerful message to young women and girls that they can succeed in technology and that their contributions are valued.

This can lead to a ripple effect, inspiring the next generation of women to enter the tech industry and ultimately contributing to a more balanced and inclusive tech ecosystem. As the narrative shifts, it’s likely that the support for women-led tech start-ups will grow, creating a more diverse and equitable technology landscape.

TE: There have been several arguments that most women tech start-ups do not meet the required criteria. This, according to many people, underscores the reason for the funding challenge thereby dismissing the widely held belief that it is more about discrimination than any other reason. Do you agree with this assertion? If yes, how best do you think this can be handled based on your understanding? 

Folake Owodunni: I disagree with the assertion that most women-led tech start-ups do not meet the required criteria for funding, suggesting that the funding challenge is more about merit than discrimination. The reality is that systemic biases and barriers disproportionately impact women entrepreneurs, often leading to uneven evaluation and less access to resources.

There is independent research that shows that unconscious bias plays a significant role in this disparity, with women often facing more risk-focused questions and scrutiny, even when their business metrics are similar to those of their male counterparts.

Moreover, the tech industry’s male-dominated landscape contributes to the funding gap. With fewer women in decision-making roles, there’s a lack of representation that can perpetuate a cycle of exclusion.

This lack of representation leads to fewer networking opportunities, mentorship, and sponsorship for women entrepreneurs, impacting their ability to secure funding. Women-led start-ups also often receive smaller funding rounds compared to male-led counterparts, limiting their growth potential.

To address these challenges, several steps can be taken to create a more equitable environment for women entrepreneurs. Venture capital firms and investors should focus on conscious awareness and undergo training to identify and mitigate unconscious biases.

Building diverse investment teams can offer a broader range of perspectives and reduce bias.

Additionally, mentorship and sponsorship programs for women-led start-ups can provide crucial support. By offering equal funding opportunities and committing to fair evaluation practices, the tech industry can break down the barriers that women entrepreneurs face and create a more inclusive ecosystem that values and supports their contributions.

TE: As the Aurora Tech award winner, what are the key nuggets of success you would like to share with aspiring women tech start-ups going by your experience?

Folake Owodunni: Resilience is key on the entrepreneurial journey. Obstacles and setbacks are inevitable, but successful entrepreneurs learn from them and keep moving forward. The fact that we previously applied and were shortlisted but did not win, and then applied again before being selected as the winner is a reminder to try again.

Second, embrace your unique perspective. Your experiences and viewpoint are valuable assets that can drive innovation and solve problems that might have been overlooked.

Don’t be afraid to bring your full self to the table. Building a strong support network is equally crucial; mentors, advisors, and peers can guide you, open doors, and provide encouragement during challenging times.

Be strategic in fundraising by targeting investors who align with your business values and are committed to supporting women-led ventures. Finally, focus on the social impact of your start-up, as this can attract support from investors interested in making a difference. Believe in your vision, stay true to your mission, and you’ll find that others will be drawn to your passion and drive.

TE: Innovation remains a major driver of development in different economies across the world. Do you see women-led tech start-ups taking center stage and being responsible for the growth the world desires in the not-too-distant future?

Folake Owodunni: Absolutely. Women-led tech startups are poised to take center stage in driving the growth and innovation the world needs.

These startups bring fresh perspectives and a diverse range of skills, leading to unique solutions that address a wider array of challenges. As more women break through traditional barriers and receive support from expanding networks, we’re witnessing a surge in successful women-led ventures across multiple industries.

Research has consistently shown that diversity in leadership, particularly in tech, results in better performance and more innovative outcomes.

When women are given the opportunity to lead, they create inclusive solutions that resonate with a broader audience. This not only boosts economic growth but also contributes to a more equitable and dynamic tech ecosystem.

Although challenges persist, such as gaining access to funding and overcoming gender biases, the trajectory is clear: women-led tech startups are gaining momentum.

With increased focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and recognizing their achievements, they are well-positioned to drive significant growth and innovation in the not-too-distant future.

The announcement of Owodunni’s triumph coincided with the celebration of International Women’s Day.

Emergency Response Africa is dedicated to making healthcare accessible in Africa. This innovative solution provides sustainable and scalable emergency medical services, addressing critical needs in the region

Speaking on the significance of Owodunni’s achievement, Head of Aurora Tech Award, Ekaterina Smirnova remarked that the recognition is a constant reminder of the pivotal role of women in bringing about change and innovation.

“We celebrate the remarkable achievements of Folake Owodunni, Hannah Töpler, and Sarah Phiri-Molema. Their groundbreaking startups not only address critical needs in their communities but also serve as local role models, inspiring change and fostering innovation. These awards play a vital role in providing much-needed recognition to women in the tech industry, amplifying their contributions, and paving the way for greater gender equality and diversity in innovation,” Smirnova said.

The Aurora Tech Award 2024, founded in 2020 by inDrive, a US-based global mobility and urban services platform, received an unprecedented 694 applications from 102 countries this year, underscoring the global impact of women in technology and innovation.

In addition to the prestigious recognition, the winners of the Aurora Tech Award 2024 will receive cash prizes of $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively, along with access to an inDrive mentorship program.

Folake Owodunni’s triumph at the Aurora Tech Award 2024 serves as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring women entrepreneurs worldwide, highlighting the transformative power of innovation and determination in driving positive change.

About Aurora Tech Award project

• Aurora Tech Award is a non-profit initiative of inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform. The Aurora Tech Award is an award for women tech startup founders whose projects have had a profound impact on global development.
• The objective is to support women entrepreneurs and fight gender bias in venture capital.
• inDrive is a global mobility and urban services platform. The inDrive app has been downloaded over 200 million times, and was the second most downloaded mobility app in 2023.
• In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides an expanding list of urban services, including intercity transportation, freight delivery, task assistance and courier delivery. In 2023, inDrive launched New Ventures, a venture and M&A arm.
• inDrive operates in over 700 cities in 46 countries. Driven by its mission of challenging social injustice, the company is committed to having a positive impact on the lives of one billion people by 2030.
• It pursues this goal both through its core business, which supports local communities via a fair pricing model; and through the work of inVision, its non-profit arm.
• inVision’s community empowerment programs help to advance education, sports, arts and sciences, gender equality and other vital initiatives.

The Global Startup Awards Africa in collaboration with the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), the Ethiopian Ministry of Labour and Skills (MOLS), the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) with the support of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) Ethiopia, revealed the names of 16 overall African category winners.

At the spectacular awards ceremony in the Ethiopian capital, three Nigerian startups were among the winners.

Emergency Response Africa’s critical initiative to connect individuals experiencing a medical emergency to deliver care in minutes using technology earned it the top prize in the HealthTech category.

CEO and co-founder Olufolakemi Owodunni was present to accept the award and credited her team for the hard work and commitment that saw the company make a significant impact on the GSA Africa stage, Owodunni commented, “Winning the health tech award is truly an honour for us at Emergency Response Africa. It is a powerful reminder that our vision of an Africa where everyone can access emergency help in less than 10minutes resonates.

The visibility and opportunity for investment that come with this award will have a significant impact, not only in saving lives but supporting us to lead the building out of a critical industry.”

Awabah Nigeria, a digital technology company, focused on building wealth and providing financial sustainability to informal sector workers scooped the Best Newcomer award.

Awabah CEO, Tunji Andrews, reflected, “I was blown away by the organization of what is a truly Pan-African celebration of entrepreneurship. Innovation from all across the continent was on display and it was truly a pleasure to share and learn from every startup present. Also having an opportunity to interact with the GSA Africa and GIIG team was amazing because they not only understood our vision, but they also saw our future and I only hope we get to work together and make Africa an awesome place. This is our first international award and a testament to our growth as a business and the validity that great ideas can come to life.”

Nigerian startup Dataleum Limited, a tech training and consulting firm, took the Best Edtech category for the sterling work it has done training over 16,000 individuals on premium tech skills. “We take this as a call to do more – to triple our efforts in making more impact in the Tech Talent Ecosystem and to keep making our great nation proud,” said Bode Roberts, CEO and Co-Founder of Dataleum Limited.

Debbie Dosunmu, Group Head of Corporate Communications added, “I think this award is going to propel us to do better and push our business out there globally and reach out to youth who need our services.”

This year’s three Nigerian winners competed against 1,780 entrants from Western Africa region and were among more than 8,200 GSA Africa entrants overall.

The winners will also have the exclusive opportunity to engage with the GIIG Africa Fund, the competition’s dedicated investment partner. Through its GIIG Africa Fund and the GIIG Africa Foundation, the organisation aims to find, fund and grow African solutions to globally relevant challenges.

The year-long competition saw entrants first compete at a national level before vying for their spot as a regional finalist. Winners were then decided by an independent panel of judges, offering a holistic view of the African tech ecosystem.

Jo Griffiths, Co-founder of the GSA Africa and GIIG, highlighted, “The Global Startup Awards Africa aims to raise the visibility of African innovation as a unifying mechanism that transcends borders, cultures, and nationalities as well as the diverse maturity levels of the various startup ecosystems. It provides a common language for us all, fostering understanding and connection, and providing a platform to implement a shared vision of scaled impact.”

Caitlin Nash, Co-founder of GSA Africa and GIIG added, “The GSA Africa Summit is an enabler of collaborative transformation – of Africa’s emerging startup nations, founders, and communities leveraging and amplifying Africa’s growing influence in the global community.

It is our mission to find and support these operators and innovators of Africa – these are the young leaders with the ideas, energy, local knowledge, commitment and experience that will build this continent. We have an always-on call out for organisations that share this vision to partner with us on our GIIG Fund and Foundation work that delivers this support especially ahead of the new programme starting in January 2024.”

Her Excellency Muferihat Kamil, Minister of Labour and Skills, shared, “Ethiopia has big ambitions. We believe it is our turn to shape tomorrow’s world. It is Africa’s turn to herald a new world, a more equitable, more humanity-centred, and more just world. It will be all of us standing tall, and Africa standing tall, Africa assuming its rightful place in the world, Africa ceasing to be a synonym for poverty, social malaise, and hopelessness, and Africa becoming the new frontier for innovation and economic vitality.” H.E. Kamil encouraged all startups, “As you go home, go home with Africa’s future on your shoulders, with Africa’s dream for salvation in your hearts.”

His Excellency Dr Belete Molla Getahun, Minister of Innovation and Technology, said, “If African countries are to truly reap the benefits of the demographic dividends from their sizeable young population, it is extremely necessary to support entrepreneurship and startups with a sense of urgency and purpose. Here, we must leverage this platform to learn from other countries’ experiences and to share yours as well as your country’s vision of going global by fostering a local innovation ecosystem.

This is the building of a community of disrupters ready to make its mark on the global startup ecosystem. The world will soon feel your impact, from Lagos to Lilongwe, Cape Town to Cairo. You are the fearless makers and shakers. With you at the helm, steering us forward, there will be light ahead.”

Additional key partners to the GSA Africa summit included UNICEF Ethiopia, UNDP Ethiopia, Grant Thornton Ethiopia, The Mayor’s Office Addis Ababa, The Development Bank Ethiopia, First Consult, and Loudhailer Global.