South African law firm Webber Wentzel has selected 10 local startups to join its Ignite legal incubation programme, offering them access to legal services, mentoring, training and access to networks.
Webber Wentzel is a leading South African full-service law firm providing clients with solutions to legal and tax issues across Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is now branching out into the startup space with the Ignite programme.
The 10 South African startups selected to take part in the programme include opinion mining platform BrandsEye, cloud-based insurance provider Click2Sure, AI and machine learning startup DataProphet, cloud-based enterprise payments software Electrum, and residential rental platform HouseMe.
SaaS recruitment platform Leaply, fintech startup Pattern Matched, IoT firm Sensor Networks, tutor-student matching platform SkillUp Tutors, and online ticketing service Quicket complete the list.
The selected startups will be provided with tailored legal services valued at up to ZAR100,000 (US$7,300) as part of the programme, as welll as bespoke mentoring and training support focused on legal knowledge and developing key skills relevant to startup businesses, and targeted networking and profile-raising opportunities.
“We were thrilled at the exceptional quality of the applications received and the level of interest shown in our programme,” said Aalia Manie, project lead and Webber Wentzel partner.
Andrea Bohmert of Knife Capital, one of the Ignite expert panelists, said she was excited about the programme and believed it will fill an important gap in the ecosystem.
“I believe that the access to subject matter experts from a firm with the size and experience of Webber Wentzel will help drive the success of the selected startups and scaleups,” she said.
