VC4A has announced the 12 firms (11 Series A and 1 Seed+) for its 2019 Venture Showcase. The 12 companies, which represent the best investment opportunities according to VC4A, have been vetted by 40 VC investors through a referral and selection process. They also demonstrate strong revenues and competitive edge, are well-positioned for regional and internal expansion, and are working on important innovations in the healthcare, finance, transport, commerce and advertising sectors.
The founders of the 12 firms will showcase their businesses in front of the investors at Africa Early Stage Investor Summit in Cape Town on November 13 -14, 2019, with the aim of raising between US $250,000 – US $5 million in Series A capital.
All the 12 companies provide technology-intensive or innovation-based products or services that are currently available in one or more African markets.
The 12 finalists have been drawn from: 7keema (Egypt), Brimore (Egypt), Buseet (Egypt), CredPal (Nigeria), CrowdForce (Nigeria), FinChatBot (South Africa), FlexClub (South Africa), LifeBank (Nigeria), Mobiz (South Africa), Snapnsave (South Africa), Yassir (Algeria), and VRapeutics (Egypt) for the Seed+ category.
7keema (Egypt) is a technology-enabled healthcare services platform that enhances the accessibility and quality of nursing services while empowering female nurses everywhere.
Brimore (Egypt) is a social commerce platform that enables manufacturers to grow on a national scale through a powerful commercial arm of individuals, selling the products to their surrounding circles via all possible channels.
Buseet (Egypt) operates private high-end buses in transporting daily commuters. allowing businesses and employees to book trips on predefined routes through their apps.
CredPal (Nigeria) is a financial technology company that enables consumers to make purchases across online/offline merchants and pay in fixed monthly installments by providing them with instant access to credit at the point-of-sale and also on credit cards.
CrowdForce (Nigeria) is building an ecosystem of 1 million merchants that will render penetrative market research and financial inclusion services to the billions of consumers in Africa and other emerging markets.
FinChatBot (South Africa) develops bespoke Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbots to help financial service providers acquire and retain customers while reducing operating costs.
FlexClub (South Africa) is a managed marketplace helping independent drivers on digital platforms access vehicle ownership based on their skills while simplifying how purpose-driven investors can earn competitive returns from funding commercial fleets.
LifeBank (Nigeria) is a medical distribution company focused on transporting supply chain-sensitive medical products such as blood, vaccines, and oxygen in developing countries using high and low technologies as well as smart logistics.
Mobiz (South Africa) is a powerful yet easy-to-use software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that offers businesses of all sizes cutting-edge customer engagement. Mobiz’s proprietary SmartSMS product combines the ubiquity of established mobile channels with the personalization of the web to create unique calls to action.
Snapnsave (South Africa) is South Africa’s #1 cashback coupon app that gives shoppers and independent traders cashback when shopping in-store, just by snapping a photo of their shopping receipts.
Yassir (Algeria) is an innovative transportation service that can be used with your smartphone anywhere, anytime. It allows everyone to book a driver and to move safely.
The selection panel made a special selection in the ‘Seed+’ investment category, picking VRapeutic, a firm which develops virtual reality software for therapy, with a focus on learning disabilities and developmental disorders, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and cerebral palsy.
These 12 selected startups will be linked to top VC investors as mentors in the coming weeks and receive bespoke investor readiness training that culminates in a 1-week residency in Cape Town, South Africa. During the residency, the startups will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from their mentors, peers, and partners, before delivering their pitches on the main stage of the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit. The program offers two days of networking opportunities at the Summit, where entrepreneurs will also engage with interested investors during deep-dive sessions. Moreover, the participants will pitch to a wider audience of corporates, investors and tech professionals at VC4A’s partner event, AfricaCom, where about 40 major VCs and multiple angel groups are expected to participate.
VC4A leverages its infrastructure, network and expertise for the programs that contribute to Africa’s startup movement. Since 2008, the organization designs, structures and implements successful entrepreneurship programs on the continent. VC4A runs an online platform, VC4A.com, featuring the world’s largest database of African startups and connecting local entrepreneurs to learning resources, mentors, investors and partner programs.
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