Nadya Eka Lestari
TechInAfrica — The Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 is ongoing in Johannesburg, concluding this year’s edition of Swiss emerging market startup competition, Seedstars World.
The fifth edition of the regional summit, which is underway at The Fox Junction in Johannesburg, will feature startup pitches, workshops, talks about the latest trends and networking opportunities.
30 startups have been invited to the summit pitch for an opportunity to participate at the 2020 Seedstars Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland.
On December 3 and 4, Seedstars World hosted a Seedstars Growth Bootcamp for the 30 startups and a private investor forum. 10 of the most promising startups will be selected to travel to Lausanne where they will compete for the title of Seedstars Global Winner and $500,000 in equity investments with more than 60 startups globally.
Seedstars World said in a statement that the event will also see partners of its Africa tour highlight their prizes and programs. These are:
- The DOEN Foundation‘s DOEN Land Restoration Prize which rewards the best tech-enabled solutions in land restoration and land degradation.
- The GIZ‘s Gender Equality Entrepreneurship Track which focuses on achieving gender balance
- The African Development Bank’s and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab’s AfDB Job Creation Track which aims to find startups that have the potential for job creation
Seedstars Summit Africa manager Anne-Alice Fievet stated the summit is “not just an event”.
“It’s the completion of six months of intense work and travel in more than 25 countries of the continent, to meet the people who are building the future of Africa today.
“So almost every person you’ll meet at the event was personally invited to the summit by one of our team members on the ground, because she or he is making a difference in his or her community, either as an entrepreneur or a strong believer and supporter of the local ecosystem,” she said.
The 30 startups pitching for an opportunity to represent Africa at 2020 Seedstars global summit are:
- Pezesha (Kenya): Peer-to-peer microlending marketplace that connects lenders with high-quality under-served low-income borrowers
- Growth Factor / Nvocia (Ghana): Growth Factor has developed Nvoicia an invoice factoring product that enables small businesses to gain access to collateral-free working capital through invoice discounting
- Vectra (SA): Digital commerce startup
- Macquarie Medical Care (Namibia): Healthtech platform that uses telemedicine and digital health solutions to optimize access to quality healthcare
- Exuus (Rwanda): Software development firm that has developed a digital and inter-operable decentralized ledger for saving groups
- Nadji.Bi Gambia (Gambia): Offers solar solutions to a potential customer base of 1.3-million people and also specializes in the research and development as well as manufacturing of solar products
- Passafree (Cape Verde): Ticketing startup that has developed a mobile app that enables users to promote, sell and purchase tickets for various events in Cape Verde
- Digital Renter (Cameroon): Proptech platform that helps users advertise, search for and manage rentals
- Eco-Warriors (Mauritius): Edtech startup that has developed an ecological education mobile game, which is aimed at children, and the comic book uses gamification to teach waste sorting and recycling
- Teheca (Uganda): App that connects new and expecting mothers to nurses for in-home checkup
- Lifiled (Ivory Coast): Offers access to lighting, high-speed internet and educational content using LED light bulb and Light Fidelity (Lifi) technology
- Txapita Mobility (Mozambique): Developed a mobile app and web service that provides users with real-time public transit information
- Apptorney (Zambia): Legaltech platform that provides users with legal information on Zambian case law, legislation and subsidiary legislation
- Crop2Cash (Nigeria): Agritech startup that provides smallholder farmers with access to finance and markets
- OKO Finance (Mali): Israeli insurtech startup that provides smallholder farmers in emerging countries with index insurance and other farming-related services
- Afrikamart (Senegal): Agritech startup designs tools and services which bring farmers closer to processors, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, and individuals
- Sheria Kiganjani (Tanzania) Legaltech platform that offers users access to various legal services online
- Track Your Build (Sierra Leone) Data analytics startup that uses drones, satellites, cloud computing and analytics to provide aerial and resource data for construction and engineering projects
- Roque Online (Angola) Ecommerce platform that provides informal market vendors and service providers with tools that assist them to manage themselves as a micro-enterprise
- Why Toyz (SA): Edtech startup develops educational content which is delivered through 3D printing technologies that enable kids aged three to seven to explore, experiment, create and design anything at home
- Online Clinic Yathu (Malawi): Ocliya is a healthtech startup that provides a one-stop shop for all health services from online consultations to booking physio home sessions
- Yetu PIC (DRC): Property investment platform that enables members of the Congolese diaspora to invest in property in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
- Digital Renter (Cameroon): Proptech platform that provides an easy way of advertising vacant houses and land for sale. It also provides seekers with instant notification of new listings
- Glocaltravel.io (Zimbabwe): Travel booking platform developed by Africabookings.com
- Angular Creative Labs (Botswana): Developed Mohiri a job alert service which uses artificial intelligence (AI) driven assistant to alert users when there are jobs in their respective areas that match their profile
- GreenFingers Mobile (SA): AgriTech platform that enables access to market and finance for smallholder farmers and diversification of livelihoods through reforestation projects tracked on its platform
- Worknasi (Tanzania): Web platform that enables users to showcase, rent or book shared office spaces and meeting rooms easily online
- MyFoodness (Botswana): Online food ordering and delivery platform
- Nubian Smarts (SA): Female run edtech startup that has developed The Numaths Kids App which is centered around the South African mathematics curriculum
- 3DIMO (SA): Developed a sports wearable device that optimizes performance and reduces the occurrence of injuries
The remaining North African winners at Seedstars World pitching events will participate at the organization’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional event, which will be held next Thursday, December 12, in Casablanca. The startups are:
- Seemba (Tunisia) E-sports platform that helps developers monetize their games through an innovative application programming interface (API) which enables them to add an e-sport feature, generate a new revenue stream, increase customer attraction, loyalty as well as retention.
- iStudy (Libya) Edtech startup that has developed a platform that connects parents and schools, as well as facilitating communication between them
- Hospitalia (Egypt): Integrated healthcare platform which provides on-demand access to primary care medical home services through certified healthcare practitioners
- Go Platform (Algeria): Youth-focused opportunity discovery platform that helps users find scholarships, internships and student conferences
- Kifal Auto (Morocco): Marketplace for pre-owned car buyers and sellers
Source: ventureburn.com
