Zimbabwe Startup Weekend crowns winner: Kwese Music

Zimbabwe’s first Startup Weekend was hosted by the local tech hub Hypercube recently and saw a three-day event full of mentors, judges and pitches. Out of all the entrepreneurs who pitched, the three finalists were MoneyGame, Combi Code and Kwese Music. The latter of which walked away with a bunch of prizes worth US$78 000.

Tech Zim reports that Kwese Music has made an app and device called K’tamba which can conduct electrical current using everyday objects, such as fruit, as musical instruments. These instruments are then connected to a computer and an app which could then be used to alter different instruments and their sounds. Exciting stuff, it sounds a lot like the MaKey MaKey invention kit.

In second place there is online sports betting startup MoneyGame. The startup has developed a platform that allows people to bet on sporting events. In third place, Combi Code is responsible for an app that enables commuters to be informed of taxi buses’ track record. By using a QR code, people can get information of vehicle registration, safety records and its public rating.

Other startups who participated included:

Agri Biz — A mobile app that gives real-time agricultural information on transport, weather conditions and market prices.

Ungano — An online platform that helps engage and manage freelance human resources for businesses that rely on the sub contracting of certain services.

Q4u — An app that manages queues for businesses and government offices by booking queue holders spots electronically and notifying them when they are closed to being served.

Schools Connect — This online platform works as a community for students that ensures that anyone enrolled in a Zimbabwean learning institution can get all relevant information on one site.

Agro Market — This team created a web and SMS platform for providing farmers with accurate crop pricing information as well as integrated agro-focused data relating to farming input. It helps anticipate future demands so as to mitigate the risk of investment in a low return crop thereby bordering on a crop futures model.

Shecodes — The predominantly female team designed a web based app for centralised patient records giving any authorised doctor access and as such an opportunity to treat the patient anywhere.

Validaid — The product designed by this team is meant to verify medical aid details for patients using the services of medical aid societies that take on the product. This speeds up the health delivery process at all medical centres.

Pitch2Pitch — This team created an online validation platform where any user can get mentorship and validation of entrepreneurial ideas from anywhere in the world. This online mentorship model is targeted at startups looking for ways to expand their ideas into scalable and sustainable solutions.