Denis Opudo
Internet of Things (IoT) has experienced tremendous growth and it is expected to go on beyond 2017. There is a prediction that there will be 75 billion working devices by 2020. The rate at which there is IoT growth promises an efficient and productive future in Africa. The IoT is improving almost all the aspects of the economy from businesses to industries. Here are the outstanding African IoT startups in 2017.
The startup has collaborated with San Diego based in Ingenu to produce The Machine Network SA. The Machine is a network offering IoT and M2M solutions with more accessibility, that covers a huge region globally, and has a durable battery life compared to the existing networks. Random Phase Multiple Access (RPMA) is the technology parts of the company that links machines wirelessly reducing the cost of development and offering faster time to market. The company is situated in South Africa.
A Kenyan based startup helps in analyzing soil to tell the quality and ability of the soil to hold a variety of crops. The startup has an electronic sensor located on the ground that updates farmers through SMS on the conditions of the soil. UjuziKilimo relies on Big Data analytics to give important insights on farming procedures and productivity about the accuracy of the data generated.
The startup is found in Stellenbosch, and it develops technologies that assist users in monitoring their health and fitness. The company creates an enabling environment where expertly’s from different fields can converge and share ideas which help in health and fitness improvement.
This is an innovation from the IoT sector. The startup gives solutions that help their customers to use quality technology and at the same time, have interoperability and be in a position to connect various deployed systems. The site gives businesses a chance to weigh off the current investments in systems and devices that are already installed.
Based in Kenya, the startup establishes ingenious solutions for the agricultural sector. The greenhouses use solar energy and sensors to control and maintain a favorable environment for plants. The platform develops affordable, current greenhouses and installs automatic drip irrigation kits for smallholder farmers by using the locally available resources. The startup has sensors in the soil that tells the amount of moisture in the soil.
BRCK
The platform developed PicoBRCK which is a lumpy mobile WiFi hotspot which is used as a backup generator for the internet. The brain under the formation of the startup is the same that developed, Ushahidi, Crowdmap and the iHub and manufactured by Silicon Hills Design. In 2013, the startup raised over US$172 000 on Kickstarter and secured an investment worth US$1.2 million in 2014. The founders are based in Nairobi Kenya and it’s the only company in East Africa that connects market to the internet.
The company is based in Kenya and it’s designed for smart home application and systems. The startup performs its major duties once the Chimera hardware has been installed. The technology gives the owner a chance to control simple duties like temperature control, audiovisual integration, and lighting allowing the users to adapt their surroundings to their own taste.
The startup links users to the physical world digitally. The company won the Wildcard award at the MTN 2017 Internet of Things Awards. The ProximityID allows the users to connect with the locations and brands of their preference visit and enjoy. ProximityID’s technology combines the respective details, loyalty cards, access cards and parking tickets and consolidates them into users smartphone.
The company is based in South Africa and it majors in indoor farming. The company which was founded in 2016 works on improving the sustainability and efficiency of agriculture.
The technology warns the users in case there is any fire break out. The company which was founded in South Africa developed a small blue device that consists of heat detectors for homes. In 2014 it won the award for best startup in the Global Innovation through Science and Technology challenge as well as being one of the finalists in the SeedStars World challenge held in Geneva, Switzerland.
