A 24/7 health call centre from Uganda and a social app designed in Germany for the visually impaired are among the twelve finalists in a contest backed by Deutsche Telekom to find innovative business ideas.

Medical Concierge offers callers access to doctors at anytime to support the Ugandan health system. The scheme is the brainchild of a Unicef consultant and a medical researcher. Subscribers pay no more than standard call charges.

The two Berlin-based academics behind Six-Dot argue that existing mobile apps for the visually impaired do not cater for the social side of their lives. Their app covers subjects such as eating out and shopping.

The twelve finalists were chosen from 444 ideas originally submitted. In the next stage, the finalists will pitch to a panel of Deutsche Telekom executives on 10 June.

On offer is the chance to win resources worth up to €500,000 to bring the ideas to fruition.