Global tech firm Bosch and corporate-backed accelerator Founders Factory Africa are looking for African smart mobility startups, with challenge winners to share a US$30,000 cash prize and the potential opportunity to join a Bosch accelerator programme.
Startups from across Africa that are engaged in solving mobility issues on the continent are invited to take part in the challenge, which is focused on specific themes, including connectivity and IoT solutions, vehicle renting and ride sharing, city infrastructure, logistics and distribution, clean energy and electric vehicles, and insurance and data tracking systems.
The top 10 smart mobility startups will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 4, with cash prizes up for grabs and the chance to work with Bosch. The areas of collaboration with Bosch could include receiving support on technology and product design, accessing data and analytics sets, and accessing Bosch’s wide network of customers and piloting and testing facilities.
“This exciting initiative enables us to showcase smart mobility innovation across Africa. We are looking forward to selecting and potentially collaborating with businesses that align with Bosch Mobility Solutions’ strategic focus areas, so that the company assets could help the start-ups to ramp up productivity of the business,” said Yves Nono, vice president for mobility solutions sales in Africa at Bosch.
Founders Factory, which originally launched in London in 2015 and has already built 70 startups, launched African operations in Johannesburg in October, from where it plans to design, build and scale 140 disruptive tech startups across Africa over the next five years.
The company brought its model to Africa in partnership with Standard Bank, which made a multi-million dollar investment into Founders Factory Africa, and the pair made their first investments in April. In June it secured backing from Netcare, which operates South Africa’s largest hospital network, to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to build and scale e-health startups across Africa. Bosch is the third corporate partner for the company in Africa.
“We are incredibly proud to be selected and trusted by Bosch. There are enormous opportunities within the mobility and transportation space in Africa, and a rising number of exciting businesses that are solving challenges in this sector. We are happy to be able to showcase some of these through our collaboration with Bosch,” said Roo Rogers, chief executive officer (CEO) of Founders Factory Africa.
Applications can be made here until August 26.
