Startups with tech-based solutions measuring the performance of FMCG products in markets largely dominated by informal trade have until Tuesday, July 21 to apply for Coca-Cola Africa’s Tracking Revolution Challenge.
Disrupt Africa reported last month it had partnered with Coca-Cola Africa to launch the “Tracking Revolution Challenge”, which will see Disrupt Africa source startups from across the continent and give them the chance to pitch in front of Coca-Cola executives for the opportunity of securing a pilot project with the company.
With the majority of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in African markets solds through informal retailers, it is a challenge for many manufacturers, including Coca-Cola Africa, to obtain insights into performance using actual real-time data.
Coca-Cola Africa has, therefore, prioritised the testing of new end-to-end solutions that provide deeper insights into the performance of its brands and competitors, and partnered with Disrupt Africa, as part of its Pipeline service, to launch the Tracking Revolution Challenge, which is seeking innovative, faster, cheaper and more accurate methods to track retail dynamics.
Key metrics Coca-Cola Africa is looking to track include price, volume sales, value sales, distribution, pack type, geography and channel type. Executional metrics would also be of interest. The challenge is primarily focused on the Kenyan market, however scalability into the rest of the African market would also be beneficial.
Winning startups, which will be given the opportunity to work with Coca-Cola Africa on trialling their end-to-end solutions, will be the ones that best track sell-out sales of total basket of goods and key metrics in these informal or on-premise channels, track “away from home” consumption of beverages in real-time, or both.
Applications are open here until July 21, after which 10 startups will be selected to pitch to a panel of Coca-Cola Africa executives on August 12 and 13. The five best startups will then be selected to pitch to the panel again, in greater detail, on August 19 and 20.
