Women’s health startup FemConnect wins Apps for Africa competition

SA women’s health startup FemConnect has come out tops as the winner of the Apps for Africa competition. The competition is run by Joburg based business development agency NubiaNetwork.

NubiaNetwork digital business developer Candice Simone told Ventureburn in an email last week that the Cape Town based startup had received more than 6400 votes out of a total of 22 000 that were cast in the apps ideas competition.

NubiaNetwork said in an earlier statement that the competition was structured in a way that gave contestants an idea about the amount of work that goes into community development and audience engagement when building a digital product.

FemConnect won the Apps for Africa competition after polling more than 6400 votes

FemConnect will now receive an app development package prize which consists of digital business development assistance from NubiaNetwork.

In addition, the firm will assist all the top 10 finalists of the competition raise funding to develop their apps through a crowdfunding round. Simone said the agency had opened the competition’s top 10 profiles to crowdfunding rounds.

FemConnect was founded by CEO Asonele Kotu and aims to help women access self-administered contraceptives digitally. The startup also helps women to donate sanitary products to non-profits in their area of choice.

The startup is part of Dboye Creatives, a company that Kotu founded in 2017 with Darrel Boye-Quaye.

Kotu, in a recent Channel Africa podcast, hinted at the possibility of the startup delivering contraceptives to women.

Those who were also named as finalists of the competition, in order of their ranking, are:

• Shangwich (SA): Shangwich helps students share snacks online while studying.
• Maua Blossoms (SA): Founded by florist Masana Sangweni, this company aims to build an on-demand floral and gift delivery service.
• Afrofinity (Kenya): Online beauty store founded by Wavinya Musyoka
• Boostiny (Tunisia): Paid referral platform founded by Tarek Nachnouchi
• SmartVillager (Nigeria): This platform, developed by Oluwaseyi Akinlolu, enables business owners to engage with each other online
• GEM (SA): Matchmaking services for interns and internship opportunities developed by Camilo Ramada
• Erondoya (Nigeria): Logistics app founded by Jared Shittu
• Rexo (Uganda): David Wapamba’s Rexo is an event app that enables users to make partial payments towards events they would like to attend
• Adroit Safaris (Uganda): Tourism company founded by Susan Nyanzi that aims to provide travel experiences in Uganda and across East Africa

Read more: Apps for Africa competition winner to be provided with an app development package

Featured image: Screenshot (NubianNetwork)