The #Hack.Jozi Challenge, on a quest to finding startups who can use digital solutions to solve problems in Johannesburg, has picked 50 finalist from the initial 144 applications received.
The 50 selected finalist will compete for mentorship and ZAR5 million ($438.000) USD as take home.
If you missed the story on the Hazk.Jozi, check here.
The remaining applicants in the hackathon will undergo a one-month intensive business training, by Seed Academy. Thereafter, a demo day will follow, seeing the winners demonstrate what their business strategies and value proposition would be.
The winners will be rewarded with R5, 000,000 and receive one year free hosting credit for their business applications from IBM.
In a quote to BizNis Africa, Zolani Matebese, Head of Broadband said,“It was a grueling task to go through all the applications to select our final group, but it was worth it. Our aim is to contribute towards fostering skills, innovation and entrepreneurship in the broad area of digital technology by helping startups at the pre-seed stage.”
“We are doing this because ICT is central to improved productivity, economic growth and job creation. We have excellent business and research capacity which, combined with the fact that we are a young City with a young population, create the perfect environment for us to develop advanced ICT products and services,” said Ravi Naidoo, Executive Director for Economic Development at the City of Johannesburg.
The #Hack.Jozi Challenge is an initiative brought together by Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and the City of Johannesburg.
