Flying the banner “Get-Up Start-Up”, South African entrepreneurial initiative SiMODiSA will see ten savvy startups pitch at its conference this week Friday.
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With an exciting diverse group of initiatives — from solar solutions to education and courier services — each finalist will get 12 minutes to impress the judging panel which consists of industry experts Vusi Thembekwayo, Vinny Lingham, Justin Stanford, Pontsho Maruping, and Anita Nel.
Apart from wooing the judges for investment, the grand prize winner will get the chance to experience the technology boom taking place in Silicon Valley, California where they will get an opportunity to network and experience what the West has to offer.
Looking specifically at emerging markets, this startup has built a payment solution for ecommerce sites. The company says that its specific focus on Africa and the BRIC countries caters for the local infrastructure which requires a unique and tailored approach to online payments.
Iono.fm publishes audio from radio stations, podcasts and audio books online. Listeners can curate their unique playlists and download audio for later use. Given the service is free, the revenue model is centered around short audio ads.
GenWye is a technology company that aims to offer products and services convenience and customer choice. One of its features, for instance, is an online parcel collection and delivery service.
Speaking of parcel deliveries, WumDrop sets out to be South Africa’s on-demand courier startup. The service lets you send almost anything to anyone over small distances in a small amount of time, via an mobile app, website or ecommerce checkout.
The company wants to pioneer innovative IT solutions. One of its services include secure e-ticketing with which the company has teamed up with the popular South African site, Webtickets. Furthermore, the company is involved in analytics solutions, web development and IT training.
Elearning is a tough nut to crack, especially in South Africa. Nonetheless, Rethink Education believes it has found a way to change how students learn and teachers teach. The company has developed a platform which provides mobile-friendly, byte-size content to students. Since we last chatted to Rethink, the company has scooped up over 400 000 unique visits within its first year.
Apurimac Media focuses on digital marketing and advertising unique to the African continent. The agency is said to have partnered with the likes of Yahoo! in an effort to become the digital gateway to the continent.
By providing a safe, sustainable and affordable lighting solution, The Lightie hopes to quell the estimated 2 million people who
die using paraffin lanterns and candles every year. The company has built a Solar Bottle Light which you can place in a soda bottle for maximum lighting effect.
The startup is South Africa’s on-demand cleaning service. Apart from its eco-friendly product range, people can easily order cleaners for their homes. The company aims to change the way South Africans perceive domestic services and bring technology to a very traditional industry.
This Etsy of Africa is a online marketplace for crafters. Designers get a storefront in the cloud and a chance to drastically widen their audiences with their hand-crafted products.
For non tech startups, there’s a programme called Vumela which is capitalised by FirstRand and managed by FNB in alliance with Edge Growth. Heather Lowe, Head FNB Enterprise Development stresses the importance of partnerships in South Africa:
“FNB is proud to be part of this initiative. It’s great to see that entrepreneurs are looking at various avenues that will ensure that their business ventures are successful. Ongoing partnerships and collaboration like the SiMODiSA Start-up conference, is placing South African business on the roadmap for global investment and interest.”
The audience is also in for a treat with prizes like a 3D printer to be won. So, be sure to come and show your support and feedback! Get tickets here.
