NBA Africa has announced the 10 startups from seven African countries that have been selected to pitch their products to a panel of international industry leaders at a demo day on September 25 to conclude the Triple-Double accelerator programme.
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organisation, and conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Disrupt Africa reported in April it had opened applications for Triple-Double, a startup accelerator that will provide early-stage African startups with cash prizes and other support. Operated by tech incubator ALX Ventures, Triple-Double is aimed at early-stage startups in Africa developing solutions in event management and ticketing, youth development, AI, and digital marketing in the sports and creative industries.
Ten African startups were selected to take part in the programme, and paired with mentors from NBA Africa, ALX and other corporate stakeholders to receive guidance with a focus on product development, business growth and go-to-market strategy.
Those 10 startups will now pitch to a demo day at the NBA headquarters in New York City on September 25, where a panel will determine the four winning companies that will be awarded financial support and mentorship, including an opportunity to participate in workshops and development programs facilitated by NBA Africa or its partners.
Four of the selected startups are from Nigeria, namely Buzza, which helps sports organisations improve their operations through digital solutions; Festival Coins, which offers a customisable, no-code event registration and ticketing platform; Naemo Global, which has developed proprietary scouting software that utilizes data analytics and AI; and Salubata, which creates modular shoes repurposed from plastic waste.
They are joined by Rwanda’s Backrest, which provides a wearable technology solution called WristWrist for venues and event organisers to facilitate cashless payments at event venues; Ivory Coast’s Gara, a video gaming and comics platform that encourages and facilitates the distribution of digital entertainment experiences on the continent; and Kenya’s HustleSasa, which provides live event services that support payment processing, attendee check-in, merchandise sales, customer data management, influencer tracking, and more.
Completing the cohort are Ghana’s Power to Girls Foundation, which provides a social connection and mentorship platform called My Power App dedicated to empowering and supporting girls and women ages 13-20; Egypt’s UBR VR, which delivers state-of-the-art, fully immersive, in-person virtual reality (VR) experiences; and South Africa’s Vambo Technologies, which provides a digital language technology platform that leverages AI to provide real-time translation, content creation, and language learning technology.
“We have been inspired by the level of talent and creativity from all of the applicants, and we congratulate the 10 deserving finalists who will showcase their innovative solutions at Demo Day later this month,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi. “NBA Africa is committed to supporting the continued growth of startups on the continent, including the four prize-winners whose innovative solutions will further elevate the sport and creative industries in Africa for years to come.”
