Ali Dennis winner in the digital music category. PHOTO/COURTESY
By TECH CORRESPONDENT
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
Two Kenya digital innovators are among 10 winners of Digital Lab Africa 2018.
They are among more than 730 applications, from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia and Kenya who stood out for their talent, their creativity and their ability to defend their ideas.
Ali Dennis won in the digital music category with his Request Africa innovation.
Request Africa introduces a whole new dimension of artist discovery and royalty management by providing record labels, music publishers, musicians and advertising agencies an easy to use platform with guaranteed and precise music airplay data.
Request Africa has leveraged on technology by using IoT (Internet of Things) and Machine Learning to develop Africa’s most comprehensive « Billboard » music charts. It monitors live radio streams (online and offline) and channels of social interaction to categorically rank African musicians with the aim of eventually creating long lasting relationships between these entertainers and brands.
Rond  Jepchumba won in the web creation category with her innovation Future Lab Africa which is a podcast series that documents emerging innovation in the African creativity, technology and art.

Rond  Jepchumba won in the web creation category. PHOTO/COURTESY
It is a show about ideas in the borders of art, science and philosophy. The Podcast features African technologists, artists and philosophers.
The objective of Digital Lab Africa is to provide a springboard for African talent in multimedia creation and to make their project happen with the support of French & Sub-Saharan African leading companies (studios, producers, broadcasters, distributors, experts).
The Digital Lab Africa projects targets artists, producers, designers, startups, students in the media and creative industries.
The full list of winners is as below:

• ANIMATION
  Dimbitby Feben Elias (ETHIOPIA)
  Nwavu, the Blind Manby João Graça (MOZAMBIQUE)
• DIGITAL MUSIC
  Request Africaby Ali Dennis (KENYA)
  Mbira Onlineby Tafadzwa Sharaunga (ZIMBABWE)• VIDEO GAME
  Shadow Tongue by Alex Robert Ynclan & Thuso Terence Sibisi (SOUTH AFRICA)
  Project Lumpa by Mwaaba Alec Mugala (ZAMBIA)
  • VIRTUAL REALITY
  Last Night A Haircut Saved My Life by Roxanne Dalton (SOUTH AFRICA)
  II Worlds by Naomi van Niekerk  & Arnaud van Vliet (SOUTH AFRICA)
  • WEB CREATION
  Future Lab Africa by Jepchumba (KENYA)
  The Foxy Five by Jabulile Nadia Newman (SOUTH AFRICA)