Creative marketing agency, Echohouse Ghana Limited has been adjudged the Startup of the Year at the maiden Ghana Start-up Awards.

The Awards organized by the African Network of Entrepreneurs in partnership with JOY BUSINESS was aimed at celebrating ambitious Ghanaian startups that are making an impact and contributing to economic growth.

Echohouse is noted to be the brand behind; the X-Men Tour, The Echo Magazine, Kuulpeeps.com and other several projects led by its CEO, Beryl Agyekum.

Regina Agyare, CEO of Soronko Solutions and current Vlisco Ambassador received the Startup Entrepreneur of the Year award.  Soronko Solutions has spearheaded Tech Need Girls, one of the biggest girls empowerment program towards bridging the gender gap in the technology industry.

Other award winners include Startup GH which won Startup Support Organisation of the Year. Student Startup of the Year went to Purple Trendz GH. Soronko Solutions received Social Enterprise of the Year award.

Non-Ghanaian Startup of the Year was won by Tonaton GH. Wanjo Foods clinched the Food Processing Startup of the Year award and Ameyaw Debrah Media was adjudged Media Startup of the Year while Fashion Startup of the Year went to Heel the World.

Incas Diagnostics took the award for Health Startup of the Year and Manufacturing Startup of the Year was won by Kantanka Automobile.

Technology and Banking & Finance Startup of the Year went to McAbe Solutions and Mpower Payments respectively. eCampus LLC took the Education Startup of the Year category while, Agribusiness Startup of the Year went to Farmerline. The award for Arts, Tourism & Culture was taken by KP Photography.

There were over 1000 nominations and 129 startups were shortlisted for the awards.

Ekow Mensah, the CEO of The African Network of Entrepreneurs and Chairman of the Ghana Startup Awards Jury, congratulated all the Winners and encouraged other startups to follow in the footsteps of the Startups that were honoured at the event.

The Awards is an initiative of The Startup Network (www.thestartupnetwork.org) a subsidiary of The African Network of Entrepreneurs (TANOE) (www.tanoe.org).

The event was sponsored by City Investment Company Limited; a leading investment company with pace-setting financial experts and professional managers who are diverting their sole interests of investment to support Startups and SMEs in Ghana.

It received support from KPMG, oldest established international accounting and advisory firm in Ghana, Pisen Ghana, Joy Business, Business Day Ghana, Ahead Media, IconceptsPR and Avance Media.