CcHub names 10 startups that will visit Asia in PitchDrive II

Lagos-based innovation centre Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) has announced the names of the 10 African startups that will participate in a tech tour of five Asian cities next month, through its PitchDrive II initiative.

The tour, run in partnership with Google for Startups, kicks off on 21 August. In 14 days the 10 startups selected will visit Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo.

CcHub said in a statement last week that it had received over 200 applications from 20 African countries.

PitchDrive II will kick off on 21 August with a two-day bootcamp in Kigali

The startups selected for the Asia tour include three from Nigeria, two from Kenya and one each from Morocco, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Rwanda. They are:

• Casky (Morocco): An Internet of Things (IoT) device company that has developed a personal road safety device that connects to the back of any helmet and automatically switches on when the driver brakes, shifts or steers. It even alerts emergency services when needed.
• AC Group (Rwanda): AC Group is a startup founded in 2015 which has introduced WiFi and smart payments (Tap&Go) on public buses in Kigali.
• Gricd Fij (Nigeria): This Lagos-based company has developed cold chain storage technology for the transportation of agriculture and healthcare products in locations without electricity.
• Access Afya (Kenya): A social enterprise that uses technology to deliver affordable and effective health access.
• CHIL AI Lab (Uganda): This data-driven social enterprise uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve cancer diagnostic services
• Taeillo (Nigeria): This furniture and design company uses mixed reality to improve customer experience.
• Enova Robotics (Tunisia): Robotics startup that specialises in mobile robot development, with applications across education, security, healthcare and marketing.
• Flare (Kenya): Flare provides software infrastructure and operational support for emergency response teams, both government and private.
• Lifi-Led (Ivory Coast): Lifi-Led is an energy startup that provides electricity and internet connectivity to remote communities.
• RelianceHMO (Nigeria): This insurtech startup, founded in 2017, uses AI and data science to make health insurance accessible and affordable.

CcHub said the Asia tour will see the 10 startups engage with, learn from and form beneficial relationships with the advanced technology ecosystems in the cities in the tour itinerary.

 

The startups will also have the chance to explore funding opportunities, engage with manufacturers and find newer ways to scale their operations in their host countries and beyond, added CcHub.

The tour will kick off on 21 August with a two-day bootcamp at CcHUB’s Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda.

Thereafter, participants will continue to Singapore from where they will travel through Tokyo, Yokohama, Seoul, and Shenzhen to Hong Kong.

CcHub said that participants will meet with corporates that include Transsion Holdings, Dentsu Ventures, Google Korea, Samsung C&T, Yamaha and Kepple VC.

In Yokohama, the startups will be hosted to a pitch event by Jetro as part of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) conference.

Looking to follow the tour? You can do so here.

Read more: CcHub, Google to select 10 African deep tech startups for PitchDrive II initiative