Startup news • 5 Dec 2019

Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 now underway in Johannesburg – here’s who’s pitching

Featured image: One-on-one meetings at the Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 (Seedstars via Twitter)

The Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 is now underway in Johannesburg bringing an end to this year’s edition of Swiss emerging market startup competition Seedstars World.

The fifth edition of the regional summit, which is being held at The Fox Junction in Johannesburg, will feature startup pitches, workshops, talks about the latest trends and networking opportunities.

The event will see the 30 startups that have been invited to the summit pitch for an opportunity to participate at next year’s Seedstars Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland.

On Tuesday and yesterday (3 and 4 December) Seedstars World hosted a Seedstars Growth Bootcamp for the 30 startups as well as a private investor forum.

The event will see the top 10 African startups get selected to attend next year’s Seedstars Summit in Switzerland

Only 10 of the most promising ventures will be get selected to travel to Lausanne where they will compete for the title of Seedstars Global Winner and $500 000 in equity investments with more than 60 startups from around the world.

Seedstars World said in an earlier statement that today’s event will also see partners of its Africa tour highlight their prizes and programmes. These include:

The DOEN Foundation‘s DOEN Land Restoration Prize which rewards the best tech-enabled solutions in land restoration and land degradation.
The GIZ‘s Gender Equality Entrepreneurship Track which focuses on achieving gender balance
The African Development Bank’s and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab’s AfDB Job Creation Track which aims to find startups that have the potential for job creation

‘Not just an event’

Seedstars Summit Africa manager Anne-Alice Fievet said the summit is “not just an event”.

“It’s the completion of six months of intense work and travel in more than 25 countries of the continent, to meet the people who are building the future of Africa today.

“So almost every person you’ll meet at the event was personally invited to the summit by one of our team members on the ground, because she or he is making a difference in his or her community, either as an entrepreneur or a strong believer and supporter of the local ecosystem,” she added.

The 30 startups that will pitch for an opportunity to represent the continent at next year’s Seedstars global summit are:

Pezesha (Kenya): Peer-to-peer micro lending marketplace that connects lenders with high-quality under-served low income borrowers
Growth Factor / Nvocia (Ghana): Growth Factor has developed Nvoicia an invoice factoring product that enables small businesses to gain access to collateral-free working capital through invoice discounting
Vectra (SA): Digital commerce startup
Macquarie Medical Care (Namibia): Healthtech platform that uses telemedicine and digital health solutions to optimise access to quality healthcare
Exuus (Rwanda): Software development firm that has developed a digital and inter-operable decentralised ledger for saving groups
Nadji.Bi Gambia (Gambia): Offers solar solutions to a potential potential customer base of 1.3-million people and also specialises in the research and development as well as manufacturing of solar products
Passafree (Cape Verde): Ticketing startup that has developed a mobile app that enables users to promote, sell and purchase tickets for various events in Cape Verde
Digital Renter (Cameroon): Proptech platform that helps users advertise, search for and manage rentals
Eco-Warriors (Mauritius): Edtech startup that has developed an ecological education mobile game, which is aimed at children, and comic book uses gamification to teach waste sorting and recycling
Teheca (Uganda): App that connects new and expecting mothers to nurses for in home checkup
Lifiled (Ivory Coast): Offers access to lighting, high-speed internet and educational content using LED light bulb and Light Fidelity (Lifi) technology
Txapita Mobility (Mozambique): Developed a mobile app and web service that provides users with real-time public transit information
Apptorney (Zambia): Legaltech platform that provides users with legal information on Zambian case law, legislation and subsidiary legislation
Crop2Cash (Nigeria): Agritech startup that provides smallholder farmers with access to finance and markets
OKO Finance (Mali): Israeli insurtech startup that provides smallholder farmers in emerging countries with index insurance and other farming-related services
Afrikamart (Senegal): Agritech startup designs tools and services which bring farmers closer to processors, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets and individuals
Sheria Kiganjani (Tanzania) Legaltech platform that offers users access to various legal services online
Track Your Build (Sierra Leone) Data analytics startup that uses drones, satellites, cloud computing and analytics to provide aerial and resource data for construction and engineering projects
Roque Online (Angola) Ecommerce platform that provides informal market vendors and service providers with tools that assist them manage themselves as a micro-enterprise
Why Toyz (SA): Edtech startup evelops educational content which is delivered through 3D printing technologies that enable kids aged three to seven to explore, experiment, create and design anything at home
Online Clinic Yathu (Malawi): Ocliya is a healthtech startup that provides a one stop shop for all health services from online consultations to booking physio home sessions
Yetu PIC (DRC): Property investment platform that enables members of the Congolese diaspora to invest in property in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Digital Renter (Cameroon): Proptech platform that provides an easy way of advertising vacant houses and land for sale. It also provides seekers with instant notification on new listings
Glocaltravel.io (Zimbabwe): Travel booking platform developed by Africabookings.com
Angular Creative Labs (Botswana): Developed Mohiri a job alert service which uses an artificial intelligence (AI) driven assistant to alert users when there are jobs in their respective areas that match their profile
GreenFingers Mobile (SA): AgriTech platform that enables access to market and finance for smallholder farmers and diversification of livelihoods through reforestation projects tracked on its platform
Worknasi (Tanzania): Web platform that enables users to showcase, rent or book shared office spaces and meeting rooms easily online
MyFoodness (Botswana): Online food ordering and delivery platform
Nubian Smarts (SA): Female run edtech startup that has developed The Numaths Kids App which is centred around the South African mathematics curriculum
3DIMO (SA): Developed a sports wearable device that optimises performance and reduces the occurrence of injuries

The remaining North African startups that have won Seedstars World pitching events will participate at the organisation’s Middle East and North Africa (Mena) regional event, which takes place next Thursday (12 December) in Casablanca. These startups are:

Seemba (Tunisia) Esports platform that helps developers monetise their games through an innovative application programming interface (API) which enables them to add an esport feature, generate a new revenue stream, increase customer attraction, loyalty as well as retention.
iStudy (Libya) Edtech startup that has developed a platform that connects parents and schools, as well as facilitating communication between them
Hospitalia (Egypt): Integrated healthcare platform which provides on-demand access to primary care medical home services through certified healthcare practitioners
Go Platform (Algeria): Youth-focused opportunity discovery platform that helps users find scholarships, internships and student conferences
Kifal Auto (Morocco): Marketplace for pre-owned car buyers and sellers

Featured image: One-on-one meetings at the Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 (Seedstars via Twitter)

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Seedstars Summit Africa 2019 now underway in Johannesburg – here’s who’s pitching

‘Not just an event’

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