KNUST Africa Health Collaborative-supported ventures showcase health and wellness innovations at Africa Health Collaborative Convening

Three ventures supported by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) Africa Health Collaborative, have showcased hair-care products, a stevia-based sweetener and plans for a wearable seizure-warning system at the 2026 Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) Convening in Nairobi.

Dielle, Metagrade Limited and SeizureGuard presented their work at the Ventures Showcase at Amref International University on October 18, highlighting progress in product development, sales and technology development.

Dielle has sold more than 3,000 hair-care products since 2022, while Metagrade has recorded 1,016 direct sales of its VeriSweet Natural Stevia sweetener, according to their founders. SeizureGuard is working towards a functional prototype of a system intended to predict epileptic seizures using brain signals and artificial intelligence.

The ventures have received support through the AHC at KNUST, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, to develop their business models, strengthen their products and prepare for commercialisation.

Dielle combines natural hair care with education

Deborah Jessica Oppong founded Dielle Plant Based Products to address difficulties women face in accessing suitable hair-care products and practical information about natural hair and scalp care.

She said the idea grew from her experience of keeping her hair short for several years while growing up in Ghana. This led her to recognise that many women begin growing their natural hair without the products or knowledge needed to manage it.

Dielle combines plant-based products with educational resources to help women care for their natural hair.

Oppong said the business had sold more than 3,000 products since 2022 and expanded distribution to customers in Accra, Takoradi and other locations. Its product range has grown from six to eight, and it employs three people to support customer education, logistics and deliveries.

The business also sources raw materials from suppliers, extending its economic contribution beyond its direct workforce.

Oppong credited KNUST, the AHC and the Mastercard Foundation with helping Dielle strengthen its operations and increase production capacity.

Through the Sustainable Business Start-Up programme, she gained skills in financial record-keeping and marketing planning. She said funding from the Mastercard Foundation enabled the business to acquire machinery, purchase raw materials in bulk, invest in marketing and obtain approval from Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

Dielle plans to expand distribution through cosmetic shops and other retail outlets across Ghana. It also intends to introduce hair-care education campaigns in senior high schools, particularly for final-year students preparing to leave school.

Oppong said she hoped to use contacts made through the AHC to establish partnerships and expand into other African markets.

Metagrade takes stevia sweetener to market

Metagrade Limited has developed VeriSweet Natural Stevia, a plant-based sweetener marketed as an alternative to sugar and other sugar-based sweeteners. The company describes the product as calorie-free and without a bitter aftertaste.

Its founder, Dr Edmond Kwabena Agyapong, said the idea emerged during a hospital internship in his second year at university. He encountered a woman living with diabetes who was distressed by medical advice to stop consuming sugar.

The experience prompted him to explore alternative sweeteners that could offer consumers more choice.

Agyapong said VeriSweet entered the Ghanaian market about three months before the interview, following product development and FDA approval.

He said the company had conducted a study involving 100 participants, including people living with diabetes and adults without diabetes, to assess blood glucose responses after consuming the product. According to Agyapong, the study recorded no blood sugar spikes among participants.

Since entering the market, Metagrade has recorded 1,016 direct sales and established distribution through 36 hospitals in Accra, as well as outlets in malls in Kumasi and selected clinics, he said.

Agyapong credited seed funding and entrepreneurial support from the AHC at KNUST, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, with helping the company assess the product’s market potential.

He said the support funded a feasibility study that informed product development and commercialisation.

Metagrade employs three permanent staff members and six part-time workers, with volunteers providing additional support.

Agyapong identified limited public awareness of stevia-based sweeteners as a challenge. He said consumers needed more information about stevia, its uses and how it differs from conventional sweeteners.

The company plans to expand its marketing and public education activities and develop partnerships with healthcare professionals, dieticians and media organisations.

Its immediate priority is to strengthen distribution in Ghana, with expansion into other African markets planned over the longer term.

SeizureGuard develops early-warning technology

SeizureGuard is developing a wearable system intended to predict epileptic seizures and alert users and caregivers.

The proposed device would use artificial intelligence to analyse electroencephalography (EEG) signals from the brain and identify patterns that may precede a seizure. The alerts are intended to give users time to take precautions.

Founder Aseda Boatemaa Tweneboah-Koduah said the idea was inspired by an incident in which her teacher experienced a seizure during a school assembly.

The experience prompted her to explore how technology could help people living with epilepsy anticipate seizures and manage their condition.

The team has developed the system architecture and technical concepts, including a proposed electrode configuration, artificial intelligence components and an alert system. It is now working towards a functional prototype.

The technology has not completed prototype testing or clinical validation, and its predictive accuracy, reliability and clinical effectiveness have yet to be established.

Through the AHC, SeizureGuard has received funding and innovation support to develop the concept and advance work on intellectual property and commercialisation.

Engagement with mentors, industry professionals and other health innovators has also helped the team understand the technical and commercial requirements for developing the system.

Its next step is to integrate the EEG acquisition system, prediction model, wearable hardware and alert interface into a functional prototype. Technical testing and clinical validation would then be needed to assess its performance and suitability for healthcare use.

The showcase brought together ventures at different stages of development. While Dielle and Metagrade are seeking to expand sales and distribution, SeizureGuard must establish the performance of its proposed technology.

Their participation provided an opportunity to share experiences and explore partnerships to support product development and market access.