Four African startups have been named overall winners of the NBA Africa’s Triple-Double Accelerator, securing cash prizes and access to mentorship.
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 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. They then pitched at a demo day at the NBA headquarters in New York City late last month, where a panel of judges picked four winners.
Nigeria’s Festival Coins, an event technology company offering a no-code registration platform called Tix Africa, claimed first place with a prize of US$50,000, while Nigeria’s Salubata, a company repurposing plastic waste into modular shoes to reduce the global carbon footprint, was second and banked US$40,000.
Kenya’s HustleSasa, which offers live event services like payment processing and influencer tracking, secured third place with a prize of US$30,000, with Egypt’s UBR VR, which provides immersive virtual reality experiences, coming in fourth and winning US$20,000.
Aside from the cash, the four winning companies will gain access to ongoing mentorship, as well as the opportunity to participate in workshops and development programs facilitated by NBA Africa or its partners.
Each of the remaining six finalists received US$10,000. They were Nigeria’s Buzza, Nigeria’s Naemo Global, Rwanda’s Backrest, Ivory Coast’s Gara, Ghana’s Power to Girls Foundation, and South Africa’s Vambo Technologies.
“We congratulate all of the talented entrepreneurs who participated, with special recognition to the finalists and winners. These outstanding companies are ready to shape the future of sports in Africa and elevate the continent on the global stage,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.
