Lusaka-based tech and innovation hub Bongo Hive has announced the nine startups that it selected to join the eighth cohort of its six-month long Launch Accelerator.
The accelerator is aimed at startups that want to scale. The accelerator provides participants with co-working space, mentors and access to legal consultants as well as accountants.
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The nine startups selected have developed solutions that range from cleantech, real estate, media and edtech.
Bongo Hive’s Launch Accelerator is aimed at startups looking to gain traction to scale
They are: tech company PayitApp, food and beverage startup Burger Queen, woman-focused and talent management agency Phat Media, healthtech Dawa, hair retailer Merci, cosmetics startup Bantu Blends, distribution company Strutting Investment, real estate crowdfunding startup Daonari, and cleantech startup M-Power Ventures AG.
In a statement announcing the cohort on Monday (24 September), Bongo Hive co-founder and executive director Lukonga Lindunda said the accelerator has supported 79 startups across seven cohorts over the past 33 months. The accelerator’s alumni have also gone onto raise over $800 000 in funding to date.
He said the most recent accomplishments by the Launch Accelerator alumni included Safe Motherhood Alliance‘s win of the R50 000 prize at the regional finals of the FemBioBiz Acceleration Programme that took place at the SA Innovation Summit.
Read more: Here’s who took home top honours at the SA Innovation Summit
Lindunda also singled out eMsika — an ecommerce platform that helps farmers find, buy and receive agricultural inputs — winning this month’s Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) Zambian pitch event.
The startup will now represent the country at the Nutrition Africa Investor Forum taking place in Nairobi, Kenya next month.
Congratulations to the 2 Zambian #SUNPitchComp finalists, selected last week!
Gilbert Mwale – eMsika
Sylvia Banda – Sylva Food Solutions
Read more about how their biz tackles #malnutition in #Zambia here: https://t.co/yQZe6wmCJA
Thanks to @WFP and Galamukani for organising! pic.twitter.com/rfUbX3ADNW— SUN Business Network (@SUNBizNet) September 19, 2018
Featured image (left to right): Phat Media founder Munalula Lukonga, Bantu Blends founder Ygette Mwila and M-power Ventures AG’s Sam Mbulo at a Launch Accelerator networking session held last Thursday (20 September) in Lusaka (Supplied)
