Tag Archives: South African startups

Durban to Dublin — Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2023 Winners to Showcase SDG Innovations in Ireland

The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa is excited to announce that the 2023 winning cohort is set to travel to Ireland for a 10-day curated immersion and networking programme with access to top industry leaders and potential for further funding.

SA Innovation Summit 2023: Igniting Africa’s Innovation Frontier Over 3000 innovators are expected to gather in Cape Town on 27 – 28th of September

With a mission to boost startup success and ignite economic innovation, SAIS’23 aims to gather 3 000 participants, featuring top-notch speakers, innovative exhibitors, and thrilling side events. Over 120 speakers will delve into the realities of building ecosystems, while startups can engage in pitch battles and seize numerous growth opportunities.

From failing at university to scaling SA’s top venture builder in four years – these two young entrepreneurs are on a mission to help 1-million people build good tech

One of the most hotly debated topics in African innovation is South Africa’s claim to be the “Tech Capital” of the continent. Home to more than 490 startups and a combined US$1-billion (or R17.6-billion) in funding[1], South Africa is an undisputed leader on the continent. But in 2023, that reputation is slipping, as Nigeria takes […]

CURBON, a SA startup, is taking a bold offset and uplift approach to solving climate change

Curbon makes it easy to make a difference, both from a climate action and community empowerment perspective, says Steffen Burrows, CURBON co-founder and director. According to billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, it is unrealistic to expect to solve climate change by asking people to live greener lifestyles. Telling people to stop eating meat, drive less, and buy smaller […]

New carbon-neutral online shopping service launches in South Africa

With a goal to curb carbon emissions, South African startup Curbon, will make carbon-neutral online shopping possible through the launch of the country’s very first plugin created to help fight climate change. Curbon’s unique offering gives shoppers the opportunity to take direct, meaningful climate action with every online purchase. Using data from the world’s leading climate […]

Flow wins Best Late-Stage Startup at AfricArena Awards

Gil Sperling and Daniel Levy Flow

South African proptech leader Flow has won the Best Late-Stage Startup award at the 2022 AfricArena Summit, held in Johannesburg last week. The summit was a side event to the South African President Investment Conference and supported by the Technology Innovation Agency and VC firm Edge Growth. Over 140 in-person attendees and more than 1 […]

Startup Genome, City of Cape Town, WESGRO and Silicon Cape Publish 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report

Cape Town is featured in the world’s preeminent report on advancing startup ecosystems – ranking as the #1 African Ecosystem in Knowledge The 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network was launched today at London Tech Week. The GSER is the world’s most comprehensive and widely read research on startups […]

SA’s Proposed Startup Act Soon to be Revealed

On Thursday, 16 September 2021, startup ecosystem stakeholders will be unveiling the latest findings and plans towards the development of a proposed South African Startup Act – a call to the President to unleash the growth and innovation inherent in the country’s entrepreneurs and youth. These findings, gathered over the past six months via desktop research, focus […]

SA Startup – Omnisient – Wins Global Award

Omnisient is a leading technology provider of a secure data collaboration platform that empowers organisations to derive deep insights from their data. The company helps organisations unlock growth opportunities and new audience segments without compromising the privacy of their customers.  Omnisient’s recent recognition by the World Marketing Congress proves yet again that the African continent is producing […]

Top African regions set to become leading startup and investment hubs

Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC

On the back of Cape Town being recognised as the tech capital of Africa, topping international rankings for foreign direct investment strategy, Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC – investors in early-stage, high-growth technology businesses – says several other African cities are quickly emerging as leading startup and investment hubs to watch. “Startups in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa […]

Seven South African legal startups to pitch for EUR 10,000 grant

Virtual pitching event to occur on 13 July, register to attend The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) kicked off its annual global Innovating Justice Challenge in search of the region’s best justice-related social entrepreneurs in March this year. With more than 200 applications from startups with high impact justice innovations, HiiL has selected […]

Hack the Normal | From Africa for Africa: Meet the Winning Innovations for Sustainable Living, Healthy Living and Financial Solutions in Africa

Through the Hack the Normal initiative, Defy, Africa’s stalwart home appliance company, aims to contribute to the advancement of African-led projects that  seek to secure the sustainability of trade, natural resources, and life on the continent. Defy, a leading manufacturer of home appliances, recently hosted the Hack the Normal online hackathon in partnership with ATÖLYE to inspire and […]

SA startup, AURA, on what it takes to go global

AURA, South Africa’s leading security and medical response platform, recently announced its expansion into Kenya, followed closely by a move into the UK where it aims to have over 10,000 users receiving the company’s service within seven months. Later this year, the startup will look at possible expansions in Mexico and Nigeria. Warren Myers, AURA’s CEO […]

Last call for innovative Southern African startups to join prestigious Justice Accelerator

Guaranteed EUR 10,000 grant for startups with high impact justice innovations, to grow their business Game-changing justice startups looking for the opportunity to take their business to new heights have until 30 April 2021 to enter the prestigious Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) Innovating Justice Challenge. Interested applicants can enter via www.hiil.org/innovating-justice-challenge. Successful candidates will earn […]

Africa as a Driver of Technovation

Sustainable digital transformation, applied in the context of startups, tech hubs and big business is what will define Africa as the “new frontier,” enabling actionable inspiration far beyond the continent. Founded in Africa, by Africans, for Africans, the most important tech event of the year, Africa Tech Week 2021, is set to be a platform […]

Shaping tomorrow’s innovation: Collaborating with the right VC partner

Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC

Early-stage African tech investor HAVAÍC says aligning to startup founders’ interests, allowing management to maintain their independence, leveraging off smart capital and working together towards a mutually favourable exit is the foundation for successful collaboration between Venture Capital (VC) investors and startups. Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC, notes that for African startups with international ambitions, partnering […]

Justice Accelerator calls on innovative Southern African startups changing lives and creating social impact

EUR 10,000 grant for technology-driven finalists to grow their business The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) is calling on all game-changing justice startups that want to grow their social impact and business to participate in this year’s HiiL Innovating Justice Challenge. Successful applicants will earn a place in the prestigious international HiiL Justice Accelerator programme, […]

Cape Town/Stockholm Connect Launches to Unlock Trade and Innovation Opportunities

The Silicon Cape Initiative, in partnership with Wesgro, the City of Cape Town, Invest Cape Town, The Loudhailer, Business Sweden and the Embassy of Sweden, recently came together to launch Cape Town/Stockholm Connect. The Connect platform will bring together companies, developers, customers, investors, entrepreneurs, and institutions from across Cape Town and Stockholm via a series of […]

HAVAÍC expects bumper year for African tech startups

As one of South Africa’s most active Venture Capital investors, HAVAÍC says 2020 saw the commercial adoption of technology increase at unprecedented rates, as illustrated by the performance of HAVAÍC and its portfolio companies. 2020 saw HAVAÍC’s portfolio companies grow their revenue by a staggering 93%, and in the coming months, Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC, believes the economic, […]

R500k up for grabs in the 2021 Joburg Smart City Innovation Challenge

Are you a 4IR Start-up? Have you been in operation for 3-7 years? Are you a company developing Smart City technologies and/or innovative solutions? Do you have a pilot-ready solution for a challenge faced by our city? The City of Johannesburg’s Smart City Office, in collaboration with Tshimologong Innovation Precinct, invites you to submit proposals for […]

Development Trend of African Startups and Fintech

RF._.studio: Pexels

Africa is a land of opportunity long neglected. It is unique and the diversity in cultures may make it difficult for something new to be accepted in society. However, the scenario has changed and African markets have started to gain attention from the past couple of years. Therefore, we can see the rise of African startups as […]