Here’s what you need to know about Zimbabwe’s tech startup ecosystem

Are you a venture capitalist or an angel investor looking to invest in a company? Are you an entrepreneur looking for capital or other opportunities? Are you an aspiring startup owner looking for assistance? Well, you have come to the right place. Ventureburn presents the 2018 guide to Zimbabwe’s startup scene.

This article is the most comprehensive guide for anyone who wants to get involved with, or have a better understanding of Zimbabwe’s fast-growing startup space. It is a part of a series which will also include the West African and East African startup space.

We have scoured Zimbabwe’s entrepreneurial landscape and hand-picked some of the top players to get you started, looking at all sectors from education, investment (angel, venture capital, private equity), government, accelerators and incubators to media players (print and online).

Bookmark this one. The intention is for this article to be a living thing, which will grow into the ultimate resource for Zimbabwean tech startups and entrepreneurs. Also, with your comments and suggestions we hope to create a clear overview of the people and organisations that influence and shape Zimbabwe’s tech venture space.

Hubs and co-working spaces

Founded in 2016, Harare-based B2C Coworking provides startups with co-working office space and business support services which include access to mentors and coaches.

Bulawayo-based The TechVillage is a co-working space for early-stage entrepreneurs. The TechVillage holds weekly Startup Conclaves, quarterly demo days where startups pitch their solutions to investors.

Since it was launched in 2015, the Impact Hub Harare has been providing social entrepreneurs with co-working space and mentorship.

Tech Hub Harare launched its co-working space in 2016, the hub also holds demo days, workshops, techtalks and launch events.

Angel investors

At the time of publication US-based investor matchmaking site AngelList had over 1 100 investors who follow Zimbabwean startups on its platform.

Government support and funding

The ICT Innovation Drive was first announced in 2016 by ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira. The ICT Innovation Drive aims to, among other things, fund tech startups and set up innovation hubs around the country.

Incubators

Set to launch in July, the three-month long B2C Incubation programme will provide participants with assistance in developing business models, financial projections, funding and go-to market strategies.

B2C Coworking says on its website it is “uniquely able to connect startups nearing commercial viability to early-stage capital”.

Accelerators

B2C Coworking also runs the 12-week long B2C Venture Accelerator which is aimed at early-stage startups operating in agritech, cleantech, edtech, healthtech and IT, among other sectors.

Velociti is the resident accelerator at TechVillage. The six month-long accelerator programme aims to provide startups with access to advisors, mentors, and funding.

Conferences and events

The Techfest is an annual tech event held in Bulawayo which aims to bring together investors, the government and the private sectors through hackathons, workshops, pitches, exhibitions and startup meetups.

Networking organisations

Girls 2.0, an initiative of The TechVillage, is a Bulawayo-based community of female founders and other women working within the tech sector.

If you’d like to add your organisation to this framework or suggest an additional category, please comment below or contact us.

Featured image: monikawl999 via Pixabay (CC0 Creative Commons)