Last week, DEMO Africa 2016 happened from Thursday, August 25, 2016 to Friday, August 26, 2016 in Johannesburg for the first time.
Out of the 723 applications that came from 46 African countries, 131 were shortlisted, and this number was further whittled down to the 30 who made it to the final event. These 30 startups were from 7 countries and South Africa had the most representation with eleven startups coming from there. Six startups came from Nigeria, five from Kenya, three from Ghana; and Morocco, Egypt Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda all had one each.
The startups all came from different fields ranging from agriculture to health to education and even waste management. The chosen startups were – Grid Supply Chain, Loystar, Iyris KO Ltd, Cocktail Insights, Boresha Limited, Ujuzi Software Solutions, MumsVillage Ltd, Strauss Energy, IT Brothers, NEXTWI, Solstice HES, Wesabi, ArtNigeria, Shuttlers, Rubiqube, SharpHire Global, Vuga, ConnectMed, Reel Gardening, SolarCap, RadioVybe, Sortd, ION Comsys, Ekasi Energy, 4th Element, K Measure, Zivo Learning, flexyPAY Intenational, Telescrypts and Lipa Mobile.
Unfortunately 3 startups had to drop out of the competition, so only 27 startups actually pitched.
Alright, enough background info. Here are the 5 startups that will be going on to pitch at Silicon Valley:
1. ConnectMed (South Africa)
ConnectMed is ann online platform that provides quality, affordable and convenient healthcare through video consultations with expert doctors.
2. MediaBox (South Africa)
MediaBox is a device that allows users watch both on-demand and live TV over the internet.
3. Solstice HES (Nigeria)
HES means Home Energy Solutions and that’s a summary of what Solstice does. They use data-driven approaches to help Nigerian homes find cleaner, reliable and money-saving solutions, and be more energy efficient.
4. Strauss Energy (Kenya)
Strauss is another energy startup that targets businesses and households. They solve energy problems by providing renewable and cost-effective energy using BIPV technology, a solar-powered roofing tile designed and made in Kenya.
5. Sortd (South Africa)
Sortd is a smart skin for Gmail that enhances the overall experience by providing a seamless and intuitive way to plan and prioritise email and tasks in a single Gmail workspace.
