Startups pitching competition Seedstars World has announced the 11 startups selected to compete at the Nairobi leg of the contest, to win a place in the global finals and up to US$500,000 prize money.
Seedstars World sees the competition visit 50 countries worldwide, with 13 African cities hosting competition legs.
The winner of each local event will progress to pitch head-to-head against finalists from around the world in Switzerland in February 2016, for the chance to win up to US$500,000 in investment.
Seedstars World has now named the 11 successful applicants selected to pitch at the Nairobi event to be held on October 2.
Set to compete are AD-Engine, which helps businesses and individuals pay and track their offline advertisements online; Atikus, aiming to improve access to credit for micro, small, and medium enterprises by helping mitigate lenders’ credit and operational risks; and ENT-Mobile, which converts conversation on social media and mobile platforms to structured, actionable, and quantifiable data.
Also competing are Illuminum Greenhouses Kenya – seeking to create a limitless integrated solar powered farm automation system with sensors controlled via SMS from the farmer’s mobile phone; Lipacard Kenya, which provides a next generation fintech platform for teenagers and students; Lynk – leveraging technology to improve the relationship between household customers and informal workers; and Mobu, which helps merchants get in store traffic via desirable coupons.
The final four competitors are Mobidawa – building a reliable and easy to use medication guide and reminder for Africa; Shield Investment Company – a fintech company using proprietary technology while leveraging mobile money to offer employees affordable salary advances; and Tech Republic Africa, creating premier technology education experiences for youth to nurture their STEM university and career interests; and Totohealth, saving the lives of children using mobile technology.
The startups will pitch live to a panel of judges including Aaron Fu, managing partner for Africa at Nest; Josiah Mugambi, executive director at iHub; Veronica Ogeto-Tchoketch, head of innovation at Safaricom; Bahaa Eddine Sarroukh, head of Philips Research; and Gregory Pepper, regional manager for Africa at Seedstars World.
So far this year, editions have already taken place in Mozambique; South Africa; Nigeria; Ghana; Ivory Coast;Rwanda; and Uganda. Following Kenya, the next African event will be held in Ethiopia, on October 8.
