Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [12/06/2020]

UPDATE (12 June 2020): Insupply founder Tamir Shklaz told Ventureburn subsequent to the publication of this roundup that while Techstars’ Yossi Hasson and ParcelNinja’s Justin Drennan have committed to invest in the business, the investment has not yet been finalised. The article has been adjusted to reflect this.

Techstars’ Yossi Hasson and ParcelNinja’s Justin Drennan are in talks to invest in Insupply, an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of personal protective equipment (PPE), the startup’s founder Tamir Shklaz has revealed.

This, while SA tech company Skynamo, which runs a field sales app and management platform, has announced significant Covid-19 upgrades which it says help protect a company’s salesforce.

With Covid-19 headlining news all over the world, Ventureburn has launched a regular daily roundup on the virus and how it is affecting Africa’s tech startup sector.

Those with any news releases relating to Covid-19 and Africa’s tech startup sector can send these to editor@memeburn.com.

Techstars’ Yossi Hasson and ParcelNinja’s Justin Drennan have invested in PPE marketplace Insupply

Here then is the latest on the coronavirus and African tech startups:

Angels funds PPE startup: Yossi Hasson, the managing director of Techstars, and ParcelNinja founder Justin Drennan are in talks to invest in Insupply, an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of personal protective equipment (PPE), the startup’s founder Tamir Shklaz (pictured above) revealed to TechCentral’s Duncan McLeod in a video yesterday. So far Insupply has received over 600 applications to supply PPEs, of which 100 have been approved, with those suppliers submitting over 300 listings. Shklaz says the site is not yet generating a revenue. For more see this story.

Skynamo adds Covid-19 upgrade: SA tech company Skynamo, which runs a field sales app and management platform, has announced significant Covid-19 upgrades which it says help protect a company’s salesforce. Skynamo’s Covid-19 Daily Clock-in Screening Form ensures that organisations in industries that require face-to-face engagement to close sales, are able to protect their employees and abide by occupational health and safety regulations. “The application gives the business a detailed record of field agent movements and this information can be used to track the illness if someone gets sick,” says Skynamo founder Sam Clarke. In January the company secured a $30-million investment from Five Elms Capital (see this story).

Food challenge: Oribi Village Incubator, the Wakanda Food Accelerator and the Southern Africa Food of the University of Stellenbosch, have opened applications for a food incubation programme. Ten startups that are looking to contribute to positive change within SA’s current food system will undergo the nine-month incubation programme. Applications close on 20 July. Two of the 10 participants will include FoodFlow and Orderkasi, the winners of Oribi’s #BridgingTheGaps challenge. The virtual programme kicks off on 5 August.

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [11/06/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [10/06/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [09/06/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [08/06/2020]

Featured image: Insupply founder Tamir Shklaz (Facebook)