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Inside DEMO Africa: an interesting look into Africa’s startup world
Last year the first ever DEMO Africa conference was held in Kenya featuring 40 startups from around the continent. Now, months later, African tech entrepreneur Jon Gosier and the AppsAfrica team have released a mini documentary showcasing a rarely seen part of the tech world, the startup ecosystem of Africa. "Inside DEMO Africa", features interviews with key players in the African tech ecosystem, from entrepreneurs to angel investors, venture capitalists, philanthropists, incubators and government officials. The conference, which is part of the global DEMO conference series, touts itself as a "launchpad for emerging technology and trends”. The event believes...
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GustPay wins South African leg of worldwide competition
SeedStarsWorld is putting on the world's biggest startup competition. The event which touts itself as the an "exclusive worldwide competition", is held in 20 countries through 2013 to discover the best startups in emerging markets and regions with vibrant startup communities. The competition travels from country to country giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain a spot in the finals. The event format gives entrepreneur exactly six minutes to pitch their business idea in front of a jury made up of local and international judges. Winners are then chosen to compete in the global phase next year. The South African leg of...
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Zim innovator looks to kick-start hip hop startup with crowdfunding
Just over a year ago we told you about Munyuki Manatsa, the Zimbabwean university graduate who built an online hip-hop community from an internet café. His efforts grabbed international attention, and now he's trying to raise funding to further build the project. Manatsa decided to build the site, called mixdem, in part because he was frustrated with after struggling to find employment once he graduated from university. There were a couple of obstacles he had to overcome first though. For one thing he didn’t have an internet connection. His coding skills were, by his own admission, a “bity ...
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Knowing Africa’s markets in a digital divide
Where there’s a problem there's a solution. Where there’s a solution there’s a business opportunity. Understanding what the gaps and success stories are in making a country ready for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) innovation and transformation is crucial for startups and potential investors alike. More relevant and better research could help define markets for potential entrepreneurs for example. Location-based services are also good examples of how mobile internet connectivity could increase a company’s effectiveness and its market reach. The availability of internet stimulates both the creation and adoption of innovative applications to further progress economies. But in countries...
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Accelerator 88mph hopes to find next big mobile-web entrepreneur in Nairobi
There's no rest for the weary with startup accelerator 88mph. Right off the bat of closing its 2013 Cape Town incubation programme, the accelerator is moving to Kenya for its Nairobi leg, and applications are now open. The three-month programme gives winning applicants up to an US$100 000 investment, as well as access to business networks to quickly grow their business ideas into fully realised marketable and scalable companies. 88mph's strategy has been, and will be for the foreseeable future, on web and mobile ideas that can scale across English-speaking Africa. "There's an immense opportunity to build mobile/web startups in...
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Rocket Internet backed Namshi receives $13M in funding
Things are looking good for Rocket Internet companies. Namshi, a Middle East-based online fashion store from the German Incubator, has secured funding to the tune of US$13-million from growth equity firm Summit Partners. The online store, which launched in 2012, follows the same template as most of the company's fashion outlets, including South Africa's Zando and Zalando in Germany. The Middle East iteration is touted as the "fastest-growing" online store for fashion and lifestyle and serves customers in six countries: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. According to Namshi it offers more than 550 footwear and...
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Africa 2.0: a startup event hoping to take Africa to the next level
It's obvious that Africa really is pushing an entrepreneurial agenda at the moment. Africa 2.0 is an entrepreneurship competition aimed at bringing together startups in a workshop format following the Startup Weekend model. Africa 2.0 is a Pan-African organisation made up of more than 300 people from Africa and the Diaspora. According to the collective, it shares a vision for Africa and "a commitment to finding and implementing sustainable solutions capable of leapfrogging the development of the continent". Startups pitch before a room of mentors, judges and other startups and 10 startups get selected to go through to the...
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Rockefeller Foundation pumping $100 million into Africa’s digital scene
Africa is where it is at and its digital/tech scene is all the rage. Bigwigs are noticing the continent. The latest group to take interest in Africa is the Rockefeller Foundation, which announced a new initiative that will focus on Africa's youth and employment, Digital Jobs Africa. The foundation has pledged nearly US$100-million to Africa's digital sector in the hopes of impacting "one million lives in six countries through leverage and private sector partnership". According to the foundation the investment will impact people who would not otherwise have an opportunity for sustainable employment through jobs and skills for youth in...
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Prodigy Finance helps MBA students from emerging markets get ahead
Prodigy Finance is a fascinating company. It takes elements of micro-lending, as well as some proprietary risk-assessment practices, and applies them to MBA students seeking out funding. The result is effectively a loan network comprising of top MBA students, and alumni (the investors) from around the world -- including high net-worth individuals from emerging markets -- who can invest in their region's future business leaders. Founded by South Africans Cameron Stevens (CEO), and Ryan Steele (COO), the company is a registered LTD in London. This marriage of emerging and developed markets permeates through Prodigy's student portfolio and business ethos, and...
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Want to #PitchGhana? Join Silicon Cape’s next trade mission
Looking to expand your startup and network into Ghana? Silicon Cape could help you out. The entrepreneurial catalyst is opening up applications for all startups interested in being part of its latest trade mission, which is scheduled to hit the country in August this year. Following its successful Pitch London trip, the South African entrepreneurs who join this Silicon Cape mission will have the opportunity to meet Ghanaian startups, pitch to investors as well as gain insight into the West African country's emerging tech scene. Although it's just a proposed visit at this stage, the group says it will...
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