Seedstars World, the global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, is continuing its tour through Africa to scout for the best startups in Maputo.
In line with its mission to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, Seedstars World is travelling to more than 65 countries globally and 20 in Africa this year to identify the best seed-stage entrepreneurs and provide them with an opportunity to win up to USD 1 million and network with investors and mentors from around the world. Its previous participants have raised over USD $61 million collectively, providing employment to more than 360 employees worldwide.
The event will take place at Rua dos Desportistas, no 119, 1 andar (attendees can register here for free) with the startups to pitch to a panel of judges. The top startup will be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars World Mozambique 2016. The Mozambican competition is carried out with the support of Standard Bank and local ambassador UX Information Technologies.
“Part of Standard Bank’s pan-African strategy, is its embracement of the digital future and the impact this will have on both banking and the businesses of tomorrow. It is inspiring to see the calibre of tech and e-commerce focused Mozambican entrepreneurs that have been short listed for the Seedstars Maputo competition, one of whom will go on to represent Mozambique on the International Stage in 2017. Good luck to all the participants.” said Chuma Nwokocha, Chief Executive of Standard Bank Mozambique.
“After reviewing all the startups that applied to SeedStars Maputo 2016, we feel very confident that this will be another successful event, one which will showcase Mozambique’s potential as an exporter of technology. Competition will be fierce this year, and we hope that the winner will represent our country proudly in the Seedstars Summit in Switzerland,” says local ambassador Tiago Coelho, Co-founder at UX Information Technologies.
The 10 startups that are selected to participate at the Seedstars World pitching event are:
● Compra: An online marketplace for quality brands, products and services.
● Kharin: A new intelligent shopping tool that allows supermarkets to advertise their products and services and consumers to compare prices.
● BlackBOX TV: Allows you to stream any content you want using their digital broadcast – no internet connection needed!
● MolaPay: A peer 2 peer mobile payment platform which enables people to make and receive payments using smartphones.
● +J: A social media platform that provides exclusive services and benefits for all its users.
● Mozik: A music streaming platform that is focusing on the full potential of African culture.
● Ola Taxi: A mobile application to easily locate taxis and tchopelas.
● IZYSHOP: An online supermarket connecting producers to consumer markets.
● Vamobi Net: A startup that is modernizing the management of small water supply and distribution systems in developing countries.
● Kwine: A startups that allows anyone to locate their bus on time.
“We are very excited to be back in Mozambique in 2016 and looking forward to witnessing the exceptional talent that Mozambique has and showcasing it on the global stage later this year.” says Claudia Makadristo, Associate for Seedstars World Africa.
Other partners include local and international organizations, such as the Swiss Embassy, US Embassy, the American Cultural Center, Idealabs, and the Dutch Embassy. In addition, Seedstars World has partnered with TRECC to bring the “Transforming Education Prize”, which will award the best startup in the education space from around the world with a prize of over USD 50,000.
The Seedstars World event in Maputo will take place on Friday, July 15th from 4-9PM, tickets are free and attendees can register here.
Staff Writer
