Seedstars World is returning to Mozambique on the 14th June 2017, with the support of main partner, Standard Bank, and local ambassador UX Information Technologies. In addition, the initiative has partnered with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Shell and received support from Castle Lite and Internet Solutions.
“Standard Bank’s purpose is Africa is our home and we drive her growth. To this end, technology is a factor that will play a critical part in changing lives and fulfilling aspirations across the continent and we see entrepreneurial ICT competitions such as Seedstars as part of an important journey to showcase the tech innovations and entrepreneurs coming out of Africa, and specifically Mozambique, on the global stage. We are proud to be the main partner once again of Seedstars Maputo 2017 edition and we wish the contestants all the best of success on their journey to Lausanne, Switzerland for the final.” says Victor Jardim, Head of Personal and Business Banking of Standard Bank Mozambique.
The startups selected to compete at the Seedstars Maputo event need to be less than 2 years old, have raised less than USD 500,000 in funding and have built a minimum viable product, ideally with existing traction and scalable. Seedstars World is looking for smart startups that solve regional issues and develop profitable products for the global market, to support their regional businesses and growth. This year, the initiative will focus on targeting startups from across the country to ensure that those residing outside of Maputo also get a chance to compete.
To provide local entrepreneurs with this opportunity and aiming to deliver the best possible event, UX Information Technologies will represent the initiative for the third time.
“We are extremely proud to have been working with SeedStars for the past 3 years to develop the Mozambican ecosystem and ensure that the best and brightest from our country can compete at the World stage. Our entrepreneurs are becoming ever more bold and ambitious, and this is what’s needed to succeed.” Say Frederico Silva, Co-Founder of UX Information Technologies and local ambassador for Seedstars World.
The startup that wins this competition is invited to compete at the Seedstars Summit that annually takes place in Switzerland. Mozambique was previously represented by BlackBox TV, that allows users to stream any content they wish using digital broadcast, with no need for an internet connection.
“We are extremely proud of all the startups that competed in the previous edition. BlackBox TV represented Mozambique well during the global summit and was nominated for the most innovative startup. But also runner up IzyShop who managed to gain significant traction. We see clearly that the quality of entrepreneurs improves every year and that the ecosystem is growing due to so many committed partners. In addition, we are really seeing the ecosystem come together and more collaboration between the ecosystem players. We cannot wait to come back.” says Claudia Makadristo, Regional Manager for Africa.
“I believe that young people who are ready to start something of their own — can lift up people’s lives and shape their own destinies. Entrepreneurship means ownership and self-determination and brings down barriers between communities and cultures and builds bridges that help us take on common challenges together.” says Pascalle Grotenhuis, Netherlands ambassador to Mozambique.
Applications are open now, and startups can apply here: https://seedsta.rs/maputo2017
Staff Writer
