Category Archives: Startups

startups

CREATING AFRICAN SUCCESS STORIES: Harnessing the opportunities offered by accelerators to fast-track African entrepreneurs

African startups face various challenges – from raising funds to securing their first contracts. And for more than half of African startups[1], these challenges will be insurmountable. But for one startup working on the continent, a pan-African Accelerator Programme has unlocked both seed funding and long-term contracts. When Stephan Eyeson, CEO and Co-Founder of Survey54, joined Startupbootcamp […]

3 trends set to dominate African mobile apps in 2022

In 2021, the mobile industry in sub-saharan Africa continued to show incredible resilience against the impacts of Covid-19 and experienced high growth. Digital solutions have provided instrumental support for communities and businesses, boosting their transition into adopting a mobile-first approach to tackle most of the daily challenges across the continent, with fintech applications dominating this […]

Policy Reforms Essential for Creating an Enabling Environment for Entrepreneurs

Faster economic growth requires determined implementation of policy reforms to promote confidence, investment, competitiveness, entrepreneurship and job creationi. This is according to the recently delivered Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.    With this in mind, Matsi Modise, Chairperson of the South African Startup Act Steering Committee and Vice-Chairperson of SiMODiSA, together with Steering Committee members Tanya van […]

Make a success of sustainability: An innovative incubator aimed at equipping entrepreneurs to build the green economy

According to a recent study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), transitioning to a more circular economy can create value across all sectors of the economy. The circular economy promotes sustainability, and the sector consists of businesses that focus on eliminating waste, leading to improved efficiency and greater profit margins. Sixty-five entrepreneurs will […]

Why the sector is fertile ground for South African entrepreneurs

By Catherine Wijnberg, CEO of Fetola South Africa needs entrepreneurs to reverse our shrinking economy and high unemployment rate. And while they face numerous barriers in almost every sector, there is one industry that offers them the key to success: The circular economy. Only about 1% of micro-enterprises[1] in South Africa, starting with one to five […]

Dr. Brian Armstrong and Dr. Greg Lee release new book – Digital Business

Dell’s Digital Transformation Index 2020 surveyed over 4000 business leaders globally and reported that eight in ten organisations fast-tracked their digital transformation programmes in 2020. Technology is evolving rapidly and organisational responses to this process of change are forever dynamic and accelerating. In Digital Business, a new book written by Prof. Brian Armstrong, Chair of Digital […]

AUDA-NEPAD, JICA, Afreximbank & BCG Empower Accelerator Cohort Of Five Successful East African Healthcare Companies

This is off the back of the Home-Grown Solutions (HGS) Accelerator for Pandemic Resilience, an initiative that aims to accelerate the growth of African healthcare companies to strengthen the continent’s pandemic resilience The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) held an event […]

Startup Support and Access to Markets Essential for Further Investment in African Innovation

Applications Now Open for the Telecel ASIP Accelerator, powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech Over the course of 2021, African tech startups raised $4.42 billion in funding[1] – almost double the record-breaking $2.4 billion raised in the previous year[2]. “With investment in African innovation increasing, so too has the demand for hands-on support and access to markets from […]

Adanian Labs Launches Venture Building Program Call For Tech Startups For 2022 January Cohort

Adanian Labs has launched the Adanian Labs Venture Building Program call for startups for 2022. The program invites applications from tech entrepreneurs for the 2022 cohort of exceptional startups to join Adanian Labs in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria and South Africa. Since its establishment in 2020, Adanian Labs has incubated fourteen (14) groundbreaking tech startups across […]

South African Proptech Flow Expands Reach Into Australia

API platform connecting real estate agents and social media users leverages significant growth on the continent to target global property market Flow, a proptech startup that enables real estate agents and developers to seamlessly advertise properties on social media, has announced that following consolidated growth in South Africa the company is launching in Australia. Flow’s […]

Discover the first speakers and themes of the 5th edition of EMERGING Valley

A major annual event for Afro-European Tech players, the EMERGING Valley International Summit will be held phygitally on December 14, at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille, with over 200 speakers and 2,500 digital and face-to-face participants expected. The event is open and free of charge to everyone, just sign up on the official website.    EMERGING Valley is delighted to […]

Arnergy Launches Diaspora Initiative For Clean Energy Remittances

Energy startup becomes Africa’s first solar company to launch renewables payment scheme for Nigerians abroad Arnergy, Nigeria’s leading distributed utility company delivering solar energy solutions, has today announced the launch of the Diaspora Initiative – a groundbreaking scheme enabling the global Nigerian diaspora to invest in solar energy solutions on behalf of local individuals and […]

How a Hipster, a Hacker, and a Hustler built a booming business

Lessons from the insurtech start-up that caught the eye of industry giants While November has always been synonymous with National Entrepreneurship Month, you’d be forgiven for wondering if it’s really necessary to dedicate 30 days to encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit, when it seems that just about everyone aspires to be coffee-guzzling, always-hustling, meme-inspiring business owner nowadays. Yet, as any […]

AfricArena, the leading tech ecosystem accelerator programme, concludes its 2021 event circuit in Cape Town with a bang

AfricArena, which provides open innovation challenges, research and dealflow services to help accelerate the work of founders, investors and corporates, hosted its fifth annual Summit from 16 – 17 November in Cape Town. It was preceded by its Founders’ Bootcamp and VC Unconference Weekends, attended by 60 high level international investors and 40 startups from […]

AIM 2022 Launches Prizes for Startup Pitching Competition

The Annual Investment Meeting 2022 has announced prizes for Startups attending the pitching competition. The Annual Investment Meeting will serve as the premiere platform for Startups planning to scale up & expand to Dubai. The world’s renowned and leading investment platform, The Annual Investment Meeting, will be providing prizes for startups at the startup pitch […]

DrugStoc Secures $4.4M in Series A Funding to Expand Access to Quality Pharmaceuticals in Africa

Healthtech startup, DrugStoc has raised USD 4.4 million in Series A funding to expand access to quality medicines while providing sustainable supply chain financing for healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The funding round is led by Africa HealthCare Master Fund (AAIC), and other investors include Chicago-based venture firm Vested World and the German Development Bank […]

Growing Africa’s Next Generation of Unicorns

In 2020 and 2021, the African continent spawned more unicorns than ever before with at least eight companies now being valued at more than one billion dollars by investors. To keep the momentum going in 2022, Pranary (formerly Startup Circles), will be kicking off its Business Growth Week from Monday, the 15th of November 2021. This is a free […]

Failing To Win

A new book from Burnet Media, Cape Town will inspire and guide the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Failing To Win by Mike Quinn is the authentic story of a uniquely African startup at the forefront of the continent’s fintech revolution. Inspired to become the “M-Pesa of southern Africa” after Kenya’s pioneering mobile money innovation, […]

Creating a borderless agribusiness space in Uganda and across East Africa

Startup testimony Charles Bwanika, a new generation social entrepreneur Charles Bwanika is a new generation social entrepreneur, passionate about undertaking positive challenges to bring about positive impact people’s lives he’s a seasoned child rights activist, experienced and qualified Community development expert with aBA in Development   Studies (BDS) and a Diploma in Community Psychology from Ndejje […]

African Startups to Play a Critical Role in Taking the Planet ‘from Tragedy to Triumph’ …But where will the funding come from?

This week, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) got underway in Glasgow, turning the world’s attention to the global climate crisis and the solutions needed to address this. But many solutions already exist… in Africa. “Whilst we are delighted that nearly 500 global financial firms have agreed to align $130 trillion – 40% of the […]

Draper Startup House expands to Africa with a new location in Morocco

Casablanca, Morocco, 1st November 2021. — Draper Startup House has opened its first location in Morocco, partnering with KOWORK Anfa Place in Casablanca. With the launch, Draper Startup House expands its presence into Africa in a year when tech startups in the continent raised a record-breaking $1.1 billion through the first eight months of the […]

SA Startup Act Meets With The President

This week, the Presidential Office held a special meeting with individuals from various organisations that are invested in the growth and support of local entrepreneurs and businesses to discuss what is needed to eliminate the red tape obstructing the growth of small and medium enterprises. Among them were representatives from the South African Startup Act […]