Rinchi
TechInAfrica – The GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund has announced its 3rd cohort of 11 new startups to join its startup portfolio. They have joined the first and the second GSMA Accelerator programs held in April 2017 and February 2018.
During the programs, they have shown excellent results, such as:
- The projects funded by the GSMA Accelerator program have resulted in more than 1.6 million profits while additional £2.5 million secured from a collective fund. The profits directed to citizens, local businesses, savings, and productivity gains.
- Around two-thirds of the startups have raised crowd-funding worth£32.9 million which over 90% of it comes from commercial funding.
- Some of the successful projects gained through partnerships with mobile operators where 10 of them established with the support of the program.
The six African startups among the 11 startups joining GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund Portfolio are: Agrocenta, the mobile financial services for smallholder farmers based in Ghana; Coliba, the mobile-supported plastic recycling solution based in Côte d’Ivoire; Eneza Education, the SMS-based educational content for K-12 students in Côte d’Ivoire; GiftedMom, the Cameroon-based digital maternal health support via mobile; KEA Medicals, the Benin-based Medical identity solution for patients and hospitals; and Taskmoby, Ethiopia-based Mobile platform connecting skilled workers from the informal sector with customers.
Meanwhile, the other five startups are Greenovator, Myanmar-based digital marketplace for agricultural inputs and outputs; oDoc, the mobile-based telemedicine services for individuals in Sri Lanka; Pacific Ads Group, the online marketplace and service job-matching platforms in Papua New Guinea; Qlue, Indonesia-based civic engagement app to connect citizens with city officials and businesses; and SkyEye, the localization and mapping solution for transportation services based in Samoa.
The startups joining the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Program have added 8 new markets with a total of 23 markets. The program is committed to supporting these organizations to generate mobile technology, impacting societies and the economy. The program is also aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, addressing local issues through mobile innovations.
The Ecosystem Accelerator Program is supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Australian Government, the GSMA and its members.
