Senegalese mobile payments startup In Touch has been selected to travel to China with international accelerator BigBooster, with the week-long workshop aiming to introduce the chosen startups to the entrepreneurship ecosystems of Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Disrupt Africa reported In Touch was the only African startup to make the final 10 of season two of the BigBooster programme, which helps startups in bio and health, informative tech and global impact, and looks to empower businesses to cross borders and go global.
The programme featured intensive “Booster Camps” in Lyon, France, with the top 20 startups progressing to the Boston, US-based camp.
Nine of the startups have been selected to travel to China in the last leg of the accelerator, where the cohort will be immersed in the local ecosystems of Shanghai and Shenzhen, which BigBooster says are among the key entry points for startups wishing to expand to Asian markets.
“In China, we hope to meet partners interested in developing their activities in Africa and would also like to have our diversified means of payment. We are hoping to build relevant partnerships with Chinese fintech companies that have developed products adapted to Africa, and which we could integrate into our own fintech platform,” says Omar Cisse, chief executive officer (CEO) of In Touch.
“While participating in the last BigBooster events in Lyon and Boston, we benefited from mentoring that has enabled us to improve our concept and refine our offer. The events have also allowed us to identify new sources of funding, and e-commerce partners that are interested in the African market and would like to integrate our means of payment. Discussions in that regards are underway.”
Applications are currently open seeking the third cohort of the programme. Applications can be made here, until October 1.
