mPedigree wins 2010 Global Security Challenge

Ghanaian company mPedigree has won a major award for its text message-based medicine authentication platform which has started to roll out in Africa.

mPedigree won the 'Best Security Start-Up' category at the Global Security Challenge (GSC) Summit in London, UK, walking off with a coveted award as well as $200,000 in prize money from the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Using mPedigree's system, consumers scratch off a panel on a medicine pack to reveal a numerical code, which can be sent via text to a toll-free number. A reply is texted back within a few seconds to indicate whether the number is legitimate. The overall aim is to provide a low-cost solution to the problem of counterfeit medicines in Africa and other regions of the world where fake medicines are a major public health issue.

Bright Simons, president of mPedigree said: "This is a clear sign that African technology has come of age and that innovators in Africa addressing complex, difficult and unique challenges can, not withstanding limited resources, deliver world class results."

The 'Best Security SME' award was won by Anglo-Australian company iWebGate, which has developed a ghost network platform which sits between an organisation's private network and public networks such as the Internet and creates an additional defensive barrier against unwanted intrusion.


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