Seedstars World has announced the eight startups that will pitch at its first ever event in Bamako, Mali, with the winner set to represent the country at the global final in Switzerland for the chance to win up to US$1 million equity investment.
Seedstars World, the global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, has already picked winning startups in Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
This is the first time the competition has come to Mali, with the event taking place at Impact Hub Bamako on September 4. The winning startup will join winners from more than 65 countries across the world in the final in Switzerland next year.
“The ecosystem in Bamako is very young. Nevertheless, we have found some very interesting and promising startups that deserve more visibility, exposure and attention from a global audience,” said Claudia Makadristo, associate for Seedstars World Africa.
The eight startups selected to participate include motorcycle registration and insurance device Feuze, online and SMS test result service AikoCorp, pharmacy locator Pharmoso, and Transup, which allows users to transfer phone credit between different operators.
E-Keneya, which provides geolocalization of healthcare facilities and pharmacies, matchmaking platform AllianceJ, educational platform Orientkey, and off-grid vending machine HVM complete the list.
“Seedstars World is an amazing opportunity for the best entrepreneurs of emerging countries to be identified. The selected startups will benefit from access to a great network and community, media exposure and overall the opportunity to connect with leading investors,” said Mohamed Keita, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) at Impact Hub Bamako.
