Kuzimba Services has been named the overall winners of the 2021 women in financial technology (Fintech) for its solution that simplifies access to professional engineering services and quality building materials.

This was during the Women-in-Fintech summit held at Mestil Hotel Nsambya on Friday. The summit was a culmination of the week-long Women-in-Fintech hackathon organised by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, Modusbox, Mojaloop and Level One Project.

Kuzimba Services beat off 15 other teams after its solution, an online web application that aids estate, site or home building by providing fast engineering solutions and online purchases of building materials, was voted best out of the 16 solutions that took part in the hackathon.

Kuzimba Services Business Store Manager Ephrance Eunice Namugenyi upon being announced the 2021 overall winners

The firm bagged sh4m and will participate in the inaugural 90-day Women-in-Fintech incubator program designed to further concretise its product development and business acumen.

The Kuzimba Services Business Store Manager, Ephrance Eunice Namugenyi said the app enables people to access building materials of their choice online and have them delivered at their construction sites without them having to move physically.

The firm also provides access to building experts, carpenters, architects, interior designers, cleaners, engineers and travel insurance, among others.

The other five teams that made it to the top six were Hack Girls, Pesajet, Green Shares, Mpampe and Farmers Financial Development Avenues, in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

Hack Girls walked away with sh3m while the rest of the teams bagged sh1m each. They will all participate in and 90-day Women-in-Fintech incubator program.

Organised under the theme; “fostering leadership, innovation and championing women empowerment”, the hackathon provided networking opportunities for female developers and mentorship from industry players and business leaders.

The Hipipo chief executive officer Innocent Kawooya said that through the hackathon and summit, they seek to play a role in closing the gender gap and ensure that more women are included in the digital innovation space.

Pesajet team Lead Emily Sonia Nakabuye (left) and Namwone Brenda Tabitha, the Team Lead, Team MUBs during a panel discussion

Additionally, Kawooya said, they seek to support women to understand what it entails to innovate digitally to create inclusive digital solutions and technologies that support and help populations at the bottom of the pyramid to get financially included.

The HiPipo chief operations officer Nicholas Kalungi said they seek to build an economy that includes and benefits everyone.

Over 42 applications were received to participate in the hackathon, but only 16 were shortlisted.

To participate, teams had to be led by women, with each team having at least 75% female composition.