Sweepsouth, South Africa’s on-demand home cleaning service and Ghana’s Kudobuzz , a startup that helps businesses collect social reviews, have been accepted to 500 Startups’ 4-month accelerator programme.
In the list that 500 startups released last week for its 14th cohort, both startups are among 35 startups that will receive mentorship, business development and $125, 000 in funding from the San Francisco-based incubator.
SweepSouth is the first South African startup to get in 500 Startups’ accelerator programme, according to Disrupt Africa report. But not so for Kudobuzz in Ghana. In 2013, Dropifi, a Ghanian startup that allows businesses analyse incoming “contact us” messages became the first Ghanaian and African startup to get into a Silicon valley incubator after the founder, David Osei pitched the idea to 500 startups founder, Dave McClure in Brazil during the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Congress.
More African/Africa focused startups are getting on accelerator programmes in Silicon valley. In the current YC accelerator programme, three Africa-focused; Afrostreams, Oolu and Saida have launched and gearing up for YC’s upcoming Demo Day.
With this addition, a total of 5 African startups are now in accelerator programmes based in Silicon Valley.
It’s the first time a cluster of up to half-dozen African startups will be in Silicon Valley accelerator programmes. Makes one wonder what is going on up there.
Two hypotheses: 1) Silicon valley – Menlo park – is beginning to have confidence in Africa 2) Accelerator programmes are trying to fill up a diversity quota.
However this plays out, international backing and funding only means better product, execution, a globally positioned business, and a more vibrant ecosystem down here.
Image via: 500.co
