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Meet the Tanzanian entrepreneur who scooped the Duke of York's biggest pitch prize

The Tanzanian doctor behind a firm which has developed a low-cost water filter has won the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace Global at St James’s Palace this week.

Dr Askwar Hilonga, who is Director at Gongali Model, pitched his company’s low-cost sustainable water filter that could impact millions of lives across the world.

Jostling with 11 other startups, Hilonga impressed the illustrious line-up of judges, which included the Duke of York himself, to take home the top prize, adding to its success at the Pitch@Palace Africa pitching contest and the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2015.

Gongali’s Nanofilter technology can help to overcome waterborne diseases, dental and bone fluorosis, and is currently utilised by around 8000 people through 140 households and schools and 150 water stations run by local entrepreneurs.

The award marks the increasingly global reach of the pitching competition, which has hosted events in countries such as Estonia, Malaysia and Mexico this year, and has events planned for China Australia and the Middle East next year.

Commenting on the its growing network of international networks, HRH The Duke of York said: “By engaging on a global scale, Pitch@Palace is enabling businesses to make the most of what we have got. Pitch@Palace Global is all about helping businesses to become more international.”

While there is no investment on offer for competing startups, Duke of York’s pitching events provide a platform for further exposure and networking for their businesses.

Past events have proven a major boon to the prospects of tech and digital startups, and was the platform where Magic Pony, which was later purchased by Twitter for $150m, met its investors.

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