//

Egyptian logistics startup HitchHiker has raised US$200,000 from Dubai-based angel investors to expand its operations and team.

Founded in 2017 and available on Android and iOS, HitchHiker allows users to shop from stores all over the world, and connects them with travellers for cheap shipping. The platform is insured, allows travellers to cover their expenses by earning up to US$800 for transporting items.

The startup announced the funding, which will be used to extend HitchHiker’s coverage and build its team, on its Facebook page.

“We couldn’t be more proud. We raised US$200,000 in our first seed round of investment. Thanks to our users who trusted us and used our app as shoppers or travellers,” it said.

It is the latest funding round in what has been a busy few months for Egyptian startups, with investment also recently secured by the likes of iCommunity, Vezeeta, Buseet and Aqarmap as finance continues to flow into the local tech startup ecosystem.

The post Egyptian logistics startup HitchHiker raises $200k appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2PX1tFY

//

Three African startups have been named in the Fintech100 list of the top companies operating in the financial services space across the world.

The Fintech100 report, a collaboration between fintech investment firm H2 Ventures and KPMG Fintech, offers an in-depth view of the most exciting tech-enabled financial services startups and organisations globally.

This year’s edition includes companies from 36 countries, split into the “Top 50” and the “Emerging 50”. The three African companies selected are all in the latter category.

Kenya’s Cellulant makes the cut for its one-stop payments ecosystem, which connects businesses and governments to increasingly mobile consumers and operates in 11 countries.

South Africa’s ThisIsMe, which  brings trust into transactions through proprietary, true identification technology, is also listed, as is Nigerian startup Wallet.ng, for its digital payments product that allows users to make payments, transfer funds, pay bills and withdraw from ATMs, all using their phone number.

African fintech startups to have featured in previous editions include South Africa’s Zoona, Nigerian startups Flutterwave and Riby, and Kenya’s GrassRoots Bima.

The post 3 African startups named in Fintech100 list appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2EMFKQ0

//

Global early-stage startups competition Seedstars has opened applications for its Botswana event, with a place in the grand final and the chance to compete for up to US$1 million in equity investment up for grabs.

Seedstars has already picked African winners in Egypt, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, Libya, Uganda, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Angola, and will hold its event in Gaborone on November 9 at the Botswana Innovation Hub.

Companies selected to pitch at the Seedstars Gaborone event need to be less than two years old, have raised less than US$500,000 in funding, have built a minimum viable product, and have regional and global scalability.

The winning startup will represent the country at the Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in April 2019 and have the chance of pitching for up to US$1 million in equity investment and other prizes.

Applications are open until October 29.

The post Applications open for Seedstars event in Botswana appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2JgLsIH

//

Not many African tech startups are born based on conversations with the company behind global flame-grilled chicken restaurants, but South African agri-tech startup GreenFingers Mobile was.

Back in 2013, Maximilian Pichulik and Tanner Methvin were having discussions with international food corporation Nando’s​​, which wanted to increase the number of smallholder farmers in its supply chain but lacked confidence in the tools used by aggregators or the agricultural SMEs that manage small farmer networks.

“Nando’s asked if a digital solution could be provided to replace the traditional pen and paper management systems. GreenFingers Mobile was built and Nando’s paid for our first two clients to be brought onto the system,” chief executive officer (CEO) Natalie Miller told Disrupt Africa.

GreenFingers Mobile is a digital solution that allows organisations that work with smallholder farmers to meet the criteria of food corporations like Nando’s, provide a transparent value chain, and meet ethical standards for different stakeholders, enabling more subsistence farmers to earn an income for the first time. 

Its system replaces traditional pen and paper farmer management systems and enables farmers to access markets and finance.

“These farmers have their profiles, baseline data and technical assistance, along with all commercial exchanges recorded. The transactional data allows the building of creditworthiness and thus financial products to be customised to meet their realities on the ground for inputs and basic needs,” Miller said.

Unlike many agri-tech solutions, the GreenFingers Mobile solution is not aimed at the individual farmer. Agri-SMEs, like agribusinesses, aggregators and outgrower schemes, are the end users. Their field extension officers, who work with anywhere from 50 to 200 farmers or more, input all the data in the app for the farmer.

“They have always done this manually through paper and pen, you can imagine the nightmare of this when field extension officers are scattered hundreds of kilometres apart around the country and getting information back to the head office. We digitised this process for them,” said Miller.

Large buyers, such as corporation like Nando’s and chain supermarkets, do not work with individual small farmers, they work through the agri-businesses that GreenFingers Mobile targets.

“They will not contract agri-businesses without a transparent digital system with real-time data. Farmers also for the first time have their creditworthiness built through recorded commercial transactions. Agri-businesses can easily monitor and report to all stakeholders their activities and the change of livelihood of the farmers through the baseline and household data that field collection officers collect and store on the app,” Miller said.

The startup bucks the trend of increasingly high tech solutions in the agricultural space, instead focusing on simpler technology.

“The flashy new apps on smartphones that companies are building to be used by small farmers are great, however what is the uptake and scalability? From our experience, rural small farmers most of the time do not have smartphones and do not have data,” said Miller.

The simpler approach has certainly been impactful. GreenFingers Mobile claims to have positively impacted 50,000 lives since its launch, and has 8,700 registered across Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It has processed nearly 60,000 commercial transactions, and recorded over 12,500 farmer trainings.

Earlier this week, it launched an enhanced version of its farmer management system.

“The launch of this full SaaS platform this week is crucial, as GreenFingers Mobile was really an MVP and not a full SaaS platform, and thus not scalable. The onboarding of new clients was both costly and timely,” Miller said.

“We had to put a pause on bringing on new clients since we began the re-development process. Our new platform will not only mean super quick onboarding but that we are able to decrease pricing and lower the barrier to entry for agri-businesses while still offering customisations that our clients require.”

The startup is speaking with clients in South Africa, Kenya and Zambia about further expansion, and also has access to a reseller network. Already revenue positive from setup costs and licence fees, it has raised two rounds of seed funding from The Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund in the Netherlands.

“We also before end of the year are launching a new partnership to reduce greenhouse gases, a reforestation project using smallholder farmers. A new client in Zimbabwe approached us to customise our system to create a digital solution to tracking and measuring their reforestation project,” Miller said.

“Over a 12-month period, GreenFingers Mobile will enable our client to monitor and record the distribution of more than one million trees to 12,000 farmers, fighting deforestation, contributing to carbon emission reduction and improving food security.”

The post How this SA agri-tech startup sprang from a discussion with Nando’s appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2PWDtCS

//

The GSMA has launched a new Innovation Fund for Rural Connectivity, aimed at expanding digital inclusion through innovative new technology solutions for connecting unserved rural communities.

The fund, backed by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and managed by the GSMA, will provide grants up to GBP300,000 (US$390,000) and is open to eligible companies who can deploy solutions in Uganda or Ghana, in partnership with MTN Uganda and Vodafone Ghana respectively.

Funded projects will test innovative ways to deploy mobile broadband networks in rural areas, looking to demonstrate commercially sustainable models that can be scaled and replicated in similar environments.

“Mobile operators are committed to advancing connectivity in rural areas as they work to deliver commercially sustainable solutions to accelerate progress against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA.

“The Innovation Fund for Rural Connectivity will drive partnerships aimed at developing new ways of using mobile technologies to close coverage gaps in rural areas so that more citizens have access to life-enhancing mobile services.”

Successful grantees and their partners will receive advice and guidance from the GSMA, including analytical support to identify commercially viable sites for deployment, and full technical and commercial performance reports. Applications will need to focus on at least one of the following areas: active base station technology; passive infrastructure; energy; backhaul; operation and maintenance; or sustainable business models.

The post GSMA opens applications for rural connectivity fund appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2qi7Skd

//

Namibian company PEBL, a producer of high-tech central processing units (CPUs), has raised funding from the Germany-based GreenTec Capital as its expands internationally.

Founded in 2015, PEBL manufactures tailor-made CPUs and gives customers the chance to customise their machines with the highest quality hardware and software components for a range of computing applications including IoT, media, home security and business computing.

Its units are high-performance, small form-factor computers, uniquely configurable by the customer. PEBL offers access to the latest and highest-quality component options to be distinctively implemented in a computer that is designed for a customer’s precise needs.

“As more and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are developing in Africa, their technology needs are growing. Yet despite this growth, the penetration of computers in Africa is still very low, with only three computers for every one thousand Africans. This is due in part to the low presence of major PC manufacturers on the continent as well as a lack of affordable options suitable to customer’s personal and business needs,” GreenTec Capital, which has also recently invested in Nigerian logistics startup Parcel-it and Kenyan insurtech platform Bismart, said.

PEBL is partly manufactured in Namibia and the company is transitioning to moving all production processes to Namibia, with their local assembly line set to be operational mid 2019. The company’s units are available globally.

Meanwhile, GreenTec is expanding its West African presence with the opening of an office in Nigeria. The new Lagos office will be supported by two new team members, David Ogundeko and Eniola Lawal, and represents the second step in GreenTec’s African expansion strategy.

You can read Disrupt Africa’s interview with GreenTec CEO Erick Yong, as part of our “Meet the Investor” series, here.

The post Namibian CPU producer PEBL raises GreenTec funding appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2Jg24Qx

//

Twelve African startups have been selected to join the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) Justice Accelerator, receiving EUR5,000 (US$5,750) in grant funding and ongoing business development support.

HiiL’s Justice Accelerator is designed to help innovators working on scalable, sustainable solutions to access to justice problems.  

Participants receive grant funding, with additional funding and business service support available throughout the year. They also join the intensive Justice Entrepreneur School and Innovating Justice Forum, set to take place in The Hague in early 2019.

A total of 17 entrepreneurs were selected to join this cohort of the accelerator, with 12 of the cohort based in Africa.

Uganda is the best represented country, with four innovations selected for the programme: Yunga; Tunga – Nkola App; Justice Bot; and Zzimba Games.  South Africa’s Baobab and Epoq Legal also made the cut; as did BTrack and Wakili Mkononi, both from Kenya.  

Nigeria’s FarmWorkerzApp; Rwanda’s Viamo; Benin’s HeLawyer; and Sierra Leone’s CrimeSync complete the list of African picks.

The startups were selected through the Innovating Justice Challenge; a process involving regional pitching finals in seven locations around the world.

“This year is our largest ever cohort and we’re delighted to have participants from countries where HiiL hasn’t operated previously,” says Ellen Tacoma, director of the Justice Accelerator.

This cohort covers a wide variety of services for assisting with criminal procedures, legal services, property rights and business contracting issues.

“We’re looking forward to working with such a range of different ideas and experiences.  One of the most important parts of the programme is learning from others as we all work towards the goal of access to justice for all,” Tacoma says.

The post 12 African startups picked for HiiL Justice Accelerator appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2Pj0R0u

//

Five tech startups have been named winners at the DEMO Africa event in Casablanca, Morocco, earning the opportunity to showcase their products and services in Silicon Valley.

Disrupt Africa reported in August 30 startups from across the continent had been selected to take part in the seventh edition of the DEMO Africa event, which was taking place in Morocco for the first time after previous editions in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

The startup launchpad competition – which is launching a US$100 million investment fund – travelled the continent to select startups for the event, naming winners in Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Johannesburg, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Town, Cameroon, Egypt and Tunisia.

The four-day event itself has just concluded, with five startups named overall winners and securing a spot on the 2019 edition of the Lions@frica Innovation Tour in Silicon Valley. They were Egyptian e-health startup Chefaa, Moroccan logistics startup Kourtim, Nigeria and UK based currency exchange VertoFX, Tunisian electric car producer HawKar, and Ghanaian agri-tech startup Complete Farmer.

These five winners will now join a league of international startups in Silicon Valley for the 2019 edition of the Lions@frica Innovation Tour.

“Every year,DEMO Africa finalists get the chance of a lifetime when they showcase their innovations during the main event. They also get global exposure by networking with corporate acquirers, trade and mainstream media, venture capitalists, angel investors and other entrepreneurs attending the conference,” said DEMO Africa executive producer Harry Hare.

All 30 startup finalists have been fast tracked to the technical review stage of the Innovation Impact Grant Programme organised by the Dubai 2020 Expo Live, while another three – HawKar as well as Tunisian ed-tech startup Toufoula Kids and Ivory Coast agri-tech company WeFlyAgri – won the awards from the French Development Agency (DFA) and will be attending the 2018 edition of the Emerging Valley and Social Inclusive Business Camp.

The post 5 startups named winners at DEMO Africa in Morocco appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2JjL3W1

//

South African equity crowdfunding platform Uprise.Africa has raised an undisclosed investment from Silicon Valley-based VC firm Nexxus Ventures.

Launched in October last year, Uprise.Africa aims to help innovative local businesses raise capital while gaining market validation.  Two campaigns have been hosted on the platform to date – one failing to gain any traction; the other exceeding its raising target.

Uprise.Africa said while the investment secured from Nexxus Ventures will not be disclosed, it is based on a ZAR60 million (US$4.2 million) valuation of the company,

The investment will enable the startup to launch new deals on its platform in the coming months; with Uprise and Nexxus to partner on identifying high-potential South African businesses seeking funding for expansion.

“The Nexxus investment enables Uprise.Africa to test the commercial viability of our offering. Over the next few months, we will be releasing a variety of deals that will give everyday South Africans the chance to become shareholders in SME South Africa,” said Uprise.Africa chief executive officer (CEO), Tabassum Qadir.

“It is important that equity crowdfunding is available to South African business. This form of capital raising is especially attractive to businesses, that have a history of engaging with their customers, but find that banks aren’t willing, or able to lend to them.”

The post SA crowdfunding platform Uprise.Africa secures funding appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2PZjMu8

//

The annual Seedstars Africa Summit will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in December, bringing together local winners with regional stakeholders.

Global early-stage startups competition Seedstars has been holding local pitch events across the continent, and has already picked winners in Egypt, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, Libya, Uganda, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Angola, Cape Town and Nigeria.

All winning startups will take place in the Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in April of next year, but they will also attend the fourth annual Seedstars Africa Summit, which is taking place in Dar es Salaam om December 11-13.

The three-day event aims to bridge the gap between ecosystems and connect regional stakeholders to promote tech entrepreneurship as a way of impacting people’s lives. Tickets are available here.

It kicks off with the Seedstars Growth Bootcamp, an opportunity for the participating startups to meet the most relevant mentors in fields like growth hacking, inbound marketing, and fundraising preparation. An Investor Forum will take place on December 12, with one-on-one meetings between key investors and entrepreneurs. On that same day, Seedstars will guide an invitation-only ecosystem tour in Dar es Salaam.

The summit’s climax will be the conference on December 13, featuring the startup pitches and keynotes with top-notch entrepreneurs.

“In 2017, we managed to bring together more than 400 attendees, between entrepreneurs, corporates, investors, mentors, government authorities and startup enthusiasts. We organised around 232 one-on-one meetings between startups, mentors and investors and we felt overwhelmed by the positive feedback we had from all attendees. This year we aim to grow and offer a unique disruptive hands-on experience to 500 participants,” said Claudia Makadristo, regional manager for Africa at Seedstars.

The post Seedstars Africa Summit set for Tanzania in December appeared first on Disrupt Africa.

from Disrupt Africa https://ift.tt/2OMoGhG