Innovation awards finalists announced

FNB Business in association with Endeavor South Africa has announced 12 startups shortlisted for the FNB Business Innovation Awards.

The awards are aimed at businesses that are able to demonstrate real innovation that has the potential to change the way an industry operates both locally and internationally.

The businesses must be founder-led, exhibit high-growth potential and have the capacity to create a substantial number of jobs.

The 12 shortlisted startups are:

• ArcAqua – A cutting edge food security company with a global vision to eliminate all food wastage by using ozone technology.
• BrandsEye – An opinion mining company that uses search algorithms, crowd-sourcing and machine learning to mine online conversation for accurate assessment.
• ITSI Holdings – Brings the future of education to schools, delivering an exceptional, tailored education experience to any teacher and any student, with any content, anytime.
• Sea Monster – Creates engaging content and experiences, using animation, games and immersive technologies, to inspire change in behavior and attitude that drives education and business outcomes.
• Khonology – Offers African youth and businesses the models and tools they need to accelerate their digital transformation in a sustainable and empowering manner.
• SweepSouth – South Africa’s first online platform for booking, managing and paying for home cleaning from a smart device.
• Hello Paisa – Provides migrants with safe, legal ways to send money to their families in their home countries.
• Lulalend – Applies cutting-edge technological development and automated application to provide fast online short-term business funding.
• ThisIsMe – Uses advanced multipoint identity verification and enhanced due diligence to reduce fraud and ensure a seamless, on-demand Fica process for businesses and consumers.
• I-Pay – An exciting new online gateway that allows instant payment for both buyers and merchants on smart mobile and desktop devices.
• Retail Engage – Offers unique second tier retail rewards marketing solutions that connects brands to a subscription base of mass-market consumers.
• Wyzetalk – A leading employee engagement platform for emerging markets. The company’s patented technology enables large organisations to engage with its entire employee base.

The winner of the awards will be announced on 8 June and will get an opportunity to present their business ideas at the prestigious International Selection Panel (ISP) in New York later this year.