Here are the 9 startups that’ll compete for Seedstars World’s SA crown

With its three pre-selection events in Cape Town, Durban, and Soweto done and dusted Seedstars World has confirmed the nine startups that will be competing at its final event in Johannesburg.

The nine startups, together with an as yet unnamed wildcard, are competing for a variety of prizes. The biggest of those will see the ultimate winner flown to Switzerland to compete at the Seedstars World Global Summit.

Whoever claims South Africa’s top spot this year will have some seriously weighty expectations on their shoulders. The 2015 winner, recruitment app Giraffe, went on to claim the global title and US$500 000 in investment from Seedstars.

The top startups to advance to the grand final are:

• Crew Pencil: An online crew booking and diary service for the film industry that allows diary, bookings and invoicing all in one.
• Pargo: A convenient logistics solution that lets customers collect and return their parcels at a local store when it suits them best.
• WumDrop: It allows people to pick up and drop off anything with the click of a button.
• Guardian Angel Safety Solution: A GPS tracking product that offers an affordable personal safety solution for children, adults, elderly, and even pets.
• You, Baby and I: An online platform that allows moms to experience brands by matching them to location and interests.
• Vitls: The startup building a revolutionary wearable medical device for homes and hospitals, allowing vitals to be monitored continuously and undisturbed from anywhere.
• Sortd: A communication-centric organizer that transforms email and instant messaging into a set of organized to-do lists.
• UmoyAir Communications: A provider of free calls from mobile phones to any number without airtime or data.
• Riovic: A micro-insurer that provides digital and P2P insurance backed by crowdfunding.

The startups will pitch in front of a jury that consist of Jayshree Naidoo, Head of Incubator at Standard Bank, Polo Radebe, Chief Executive Officer at IDF, Ravi Naidoo, Executive Director for Economic Development & Tourism at City of Johannesburg, Charmaine Padayachy Principal at Omidyar Network, Fritz Milosevic, Managing Partner at Dotadvisors and Marcello Schermer Regional Manager for Africa at Seedstars World.