Staff Reporter, Author at Ventureburn

SA’s ThisIsMe best regtech at 2018 Benzinga Global Fintech Awards
By Staff Reporter on 31 May, 2018
South African identity verification and due diligence platform ThisIsMe has won the Best RegTech Solution category at the fourth edition of the recently held Benzinga Global Fintech Awards. Cape Town-based ThisIsMe was selected for its work in bringing more trust into transactions through its enhanced due diligence and authentication services. The startup was placed first in the regtech category ahead of Canadian company iComply, and New York-based 8OF9, respectively. The awards, which this year were held on 15 and 16 May in New York, aim to showcase the world's latest fintech innovations and feature tech giants and major banks like Amazon, Facebook as...
Nigerian insurtech CompareIN to head to Yale University pitch after winning $150k
By Staff Reporter on 30 May, 2018
Nigerian insurtech startup CompareIN are heading to Yale University in Connecticut in the US, after winning $150 000 at the inaugural VentureClash Lagos, a pitch competition organised by US-based venture capital firm Connecticut Innovations. The news that ComparedIN had beaten 11 other startups was reported last Thursday (24 May) by Nigerian tech site Techpoint.ng. The Lagos pitching event, held last Wednesday (23 May) was part of Connecticut Innovation's $5-million global venture challenge for early-stage companies. Finalists from around the world will be invited to present in front of expert judges on 18 October at the Yale School of Management. Lending platform Social Lender and online payment startup Amplify were runners...
Seedstars in call for Moroccan startups to enter pitching competition
By Staff Reporter on 30 May, 2018
Do you run a Moroccan-based tech startup? Fancy your chances of coming out tops and winning a trip to Switzerland to meet investors and clinch up to $1-million in equity investment? Seedstars World, one of the leading global competitions aimed at tech startups in emerging markets, in partnership with La Factory, a market for craftsmen and artists, is calling on Moroccan tech startups to apply to pitch on 6 July at an event to be held in Casablanca. In all, 10 seed-stage startups will be chosen to compete on 6 July. It will be the fourth time Seedstars visits Morocco. The winner of the pitch will get the chance...
Here are the four finalists of £25 000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
By Staff Reporter on 30 May, 2018
A device that conducts fast malaria tests, a process that affordably recovers precious metals from autocatalytic converters, a tamper-proof electricity meter and a textbook-sized mini science lab. The four innovators behind these four innovations were yesterday selected by the London-based Royal Academy of Engineering as finalists of this year's Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The four will pitch their innovations to a panel of judges on 13 June in Nairobi where the winner will receive £25 000, with £10 000 awarded to each of the runners up. The prize, which was first launched in 2014, aims to develop the entrepreneurial skills of engineers on the continent. In a statement yesterday...
SA startups Vizibiliti Insight, The Sun Exchange celebrating after VivaTech win
By Staff Reporter on 29 May, 2018
Johannesburg-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Vizibiliti Insight and blockchain startup The Sun Exchange are celebrating. Both won pitching challenges at French tech summit VivaTech held in Paris last week. Vizibiliti Insight won first place and €5000 in the Verizon challenge for pitching an alternative credit scoring solution, while The Sun Exchange won the French development agency's (AFD) Energy Blockchain challenge. "Exciting news, Vizibiliti Insight placed first at the Verizon pitch contest! We are honoured to have been picked from seven amazing finalists and an original list of 100 companies & startups!" Vizibiliti Insight CEO and founder Courtney Bentley said in a tweet last week. Exciting news, Vizibiliti Insight placed first at the...
Here’s how African startups can apply for a share of €65m French fund
By Staff Reporter on 28 May, 2018
African startups will be able to apply for seed funding from a new €65-million French development agency (AFD) fund via an innovation competition, when applications for the competition open later this year. The news was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron last Thursday (24 May) while he was speaking at French tech summit VivaTech, held in Paris between 24 and 26 May. "And the French Development Agency is going to announce in the coming weeks a new specific programme of €65 million in order to invest small amounts, €30 000 to €50 000 per startup," said Macron. The AFD's Digital Africa initiative will invest between €30 000...
Top startup events in South Africa, Africa you should know about this week [28/05/2018]
By Staff Reporter on 28 May, 2018
Looking to get into the South African startup scene or brush up on some of your skills? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This article is part of a weekly series that highlights all the top startup competitions, networking sessions, workshops and conferences around South Africa, and the greater region. If you have any event recommendations for us to add to the list, or next week’s, please let us know in the comments below or send us an email. Not all of the events are free and some will require booking in advance. Please click on the event names to find out...
80% of applications for $400 000 Fall Armyworm Tech Prize are from Africans
By Staff Reporter on 28 May, 2018
A $400 000 competition which aims to find digital solutions to identify, track and protect crops from the armyworm -- which has devastated agricultural produce across the continent -- has received 228 applications from entrepreneurs and innovators -- with 80% of these from Africa. The announcement, made last Friday (25 May) in a press release by Nesta -- a UK-based foundation which runs innovation challenges -- on behalf of Feed the Future last Friday. Nesta said 80% of applicants to the its global Fall Armyworm Tech Prize were from African entrants. The five countries with the highest number of entries were: Uganda (52), Nigeria (25), US (23),...
Google launches $6m Impact Challenge for SA, Nigeria, Kenya
By Staff Reporter on 25 May, 2018
Google this week launched its $6-million Google Impact Challenge aimed at social enterprises and non-profit organisations based in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. The announcement was made by Google on Wednesday. Entrepreneurs that run social enterprises and those that head non-profits that use innovation and technology to achieve their goals can apply. In all 12 finalists from each country will be invited to pitch their ideas to Google's panel of judges at a final event. The judges will select three challenge winners from these finalists, and also announce the people's choice winner. Each of the 12 winners of Google Impact Challenge will receive a $250 000 grant Each of...
Meet the nine 2018 FNB Business Innovation Awards finalists
By Staff Reporter on 24 May, 2018
The FNB Business Innovation Awards, in association with Endeavor South Africa has announced the nine finalists selected for the 2018 FNB Business Innovator of the Year. The winner of the awards -- who will receive an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Endeavor international selection panel event in Argentina -- will be revealed at a dinner set to be held on 7 June in Sandton. The awards are aimed at businesses with minimum annual turnover of R10-million. In addition, the companies must display potential to scale and be market leaders in their respective industries. The 2018 FNB Business Innovator of the Year...