Pan-African early-stage Venture Capital firm -GreenHouse Capital -has announced the 10 finalists for its immersive female-focused Tech Accelerator program run by GreenHouse Lab.
Making the announcement at GreenHouse Capital’s Lagos office, Founding Partner at the firm, KunmiDemuren, said this year’s cohorts were selected from a diverse pool of over 200 impressive applications from across the African continent following a rigorous vetting process. The startups comprise of a phenomenal blend of young tech companies building unique solutions to some of Africa’s toughest problems ranging from medical education to matchmaking/dating; hardware production to software development; from Botswana to Nigeria.
These include Nigerian startups, Doctoora -which provide healthcare professionals with medical facility rentals for their private practice and runs an online marketplace where consumers can connect to healthcare professionals; and Gricd -which builds Internet of Things-enabled (IoT) smart active cooling devices (a flagship product called the Frij) to store and transport temperature-sensitive vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs. These two startups were finalists in the #NES 25 Startups Pitching Event at the closing plenary of the recently concluded 25th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja; sponsored by GreenHouse Capital and Venture Garden Group.
Also on the list are Bace – a Ghana-based Fintech startup that harnesses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition to improve Know-Your-Customer (KYC) protocols for financial institutions; and Vimosure –a Botswana –based startup that offers a platform which leverages sensor-based IoT systems and data analytics to reduce costs and increase transparency between vehicle insurers and consumers.
“The ingenuity on display in our cohort this year is simply breathtaking. Anyone who thinks Africa’s tech boom has plateaued needs only look at the next generation of startups coming up and the problems they are solving to see that that the ecosystem is becoming more and more exciting each year” emphasized Demuren.
Riding on last year’s highly successful flagship accelerator program, GreenHouse Lab 2019 will once again take place at Africa’s largest tech hub – Vibranium Valley, Ikeja, Lagos. As part of the investor readiness acceleration program, the 10 companies will gain access to a lucrative suite of resources, including an immersive, tech-focused curriculum led by Google mentors and industry experts; products, resources, and proof of concept opportunities with GreenHouse Lab partners, including Google Launchpad, DIY Law and Oracle; the opportunity to receive investment from GreenHouse Capital and their global network of investors; amongst others.
GreenHouse Lab culminates in a Demo Day in early December where the startups will present their ideas to an audience of global investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and media.
This year’s cohort also include Nigeria-based startups: Dataspace – an on-demand dating app that transforms the way Africans find love by connecting young, working professionals to memorable dating experiences; Mashup Beauty – an e-commerce startup driving customer acquisition and sales for beauty-focused MSMEs via an online marketplace and business management Software as a Service (SAAS) solution; OTRAC –an e-learning platform for tailored trainings/courses for public and general Health practitioners; SchoolsFocus – a one-stop school management solution; Whip Music Africa – a platform for African artists to access connections and opportunities needed to take their music careers to the next level by increase collaboration and revenue creation among creatives in Africa’s music industry; and Vesicash – a platform that provides secure digital transactions and promotes financial transparency between MSMEs.
