Kenyan startup Lori Systems has been crowned the winner of the inaugural TechCrunch Battlefield Africa in Nairobi, winning US$25,000 in equity-free funding and an all-expenses paid trip for two to compete in the Battlefield at TechCrunch’s flagship event, Disrupt SF 2018.
Disrupt Africa reported in May the TechCrunch Battlefield Africa 2017 was coming to Africa for the first time this year, with 15 startups from across the continent subsequently picked to take part.
Nairobi-based e-logistics platform Lori Systems was crowned “Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup”, and also won the productivity and utility category.
Ghanaian agri-tech startup AgroCenta was chosen as the winner of the social good category, while another Ghanaian company – merchant platform SynCommerce – won the top prize in gaming and entertainment.
“We decided to bring the Battlefield to Sub-Saharan Africa because its tech market is on the rise – the region has produced its first unicorn in the shape of Jumia, exits are increasingly frequent, and global venture capitalists are taking note. Our judges were impressed by the high quality of the finalists, their creativity and their focus on solving real problems, often with limited resources,” said Ned Desmond, chief operating officer (COO) at TechCrunch.
“We love to see startup ecosystems develop, and hope that Battlefield Africa will shine a light on the many promising, world-class young tech companies in the region. We look forward to meet Lori Systems again in San Francisco, where it will join the best and brightest entrepreneurs, investors, hackers, and tech fans in the world for the global Startup Battlefield.”
