Ten African startups have been selected to take part in the fourth edition of Startupbootcamp AfriTech’s ASIP Accelerator Programme, securing US$18,000 in funding and three months of mentorship, access to resources, and networking opportunities.
Startupbootcamp AfriTech was launched in 2017 as the first multi corporate-backed pan-African startup accelerator. Disrupt Africa reported in March 2021 it had partnered telecoms firm Telecel Group to launch the Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP), which aims to support the next generation of early-stage African tech startups disrupting a wide range of sectors.
Ten startups have now been selected to take part in the fourth edition, following a three-day selection event that was attended by nearly 40 mentors, investors, partners and industry experts. They will now participate in the three-month programme, during which they will receive mentorship, resources, and access to a network of industry experts and investors. The selected companies also bank US$18,000 in equity investment.
Five of the selected ventures are from Nigeria, namely 10mg Pharma, which employs an AI algorithm to pair healthcare providers with financing partners; Betapawa Solutions, which offers an innovative solar-powered banking solution; Edusko, a web-based, one-stop platform that matches kids with the right K-12 private schools; end-to-end logistics platform Messenger; and SaaS-based hospital automation platform Primed EHealth.
Also selected are Ivory Coast’s Babimo, which provides a professional digital wallet to its B2B clientele; Senegal’s Kori Tech, which has developed KORIPASS, an e-wallet linked to physical payment accessories like bracelets, stickers, or keychains; Tanzania’s LyfPlus, a telemedicine platform; Uganda’s Munakyalo Agrofresh, which provides solar-powered cold storage preservation units known asCOLD HIVES to smallholder farmers and market vendors; and Egypt’s Ostafandy, which allows homeowners and construction professionals to estimate and finish building projects.
“The Startupbootcamp Afritech ASIP Accelerator cohort four selection period definitely had a lot of surprises and many firsts,” said programme director Henry Ojuor. “For example, AI emerged as one of the top sectors in our application pool. Also, 26 per cent of all the startups that applied are in the growth stage. Major positive signals for the African tech ecosystem. That didn’t make our job of selecting the final top 10, easier however, but we delivered nonetheless. And I’m optimistic that we’ve assembled and are ready to accelerate Africa’s future success stories.”
This edition of the ASIP Accelerator Programme is funded by key partners, notably the Senegalese government through DER/FJ and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO) through MASSIF, the financial inclusion fund FMO manages on behalf of the Dutch government. Other partners include Telecel, AWS, Google for Startups, and Firstbase.
The programme will take place in Dakar, Senegal, and startups will be hosted at the D-hub, an innovation campus commissioned by DER/FJ. It will culminate in a demo day on February 8, 2024.
