Three African tech startups have been selected to pitch in the global final of the Seedstars competition today, where they stand the chance of securing US$500,000 in equity investment.
The annual Seedstars World event is currently taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, with more than 65 finalists – 21 of them from Africa – from across the world competing for funding and a host of prizes.
All are bidding for the chance to follow Ghanaian agri-tech startup AgroCenta, which was crowned Global Winner of last year’s edition and received US$500,000 in equity investment.
Three African startups were last night named among the 12 that will take part in the grand final today, alongside four companies from Latin America, three from the Middle East and two from Asia. They will all pitch in front of a judging panel and live audience today for the title of global winner.
They are Ghanian agri-tech startup CowTribe, which allows farmers to order animal vaccines via USSD, text and telephone; Kenyan insurtech startup Bluewave, which has developed a robust microinsurance system that offers users easy access to an array of insurance products; and Rwandan fintech startup Benefactors, which provides factoring services, offering businesses cash advances against confirmed invoices from reputable buyers.
Pitches are happening this afternoon, with the overall winner to be announced at the end of the summit. The other finalists are Argentinian ed-tech solution Blended, Cambodian logistics startup Joonaak, Chilean health insurance startup QuePlan, Guatemalan healthcare service Doctor Online, Indian AI solution Wobot, Peruvian financial advisor RebajaTusCuentas, Qatar-based loyalty solution Urban Point, Saudi Arabian health platform YNMO, and UAE-based investtech platform SmartCrowd.
