The Top Ten Startups Selected for the Telecel Group ASIP Accelerator 2021 Cohort
The Top Ten Startups Selected for the Telecel Group ASIP Accelerator's 2021 Cohort
Telecel Group's Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP), in collaboration with Africa's leading early-stage technology accelerator, Startupbootcamp Afritech, has selected ten technology startups to participate in the inaugural ASIP Accelerator.
The program received a record 2229 applications and narrowed them down to the Top 10 with the assistance of investors, corporate stakeholders, and industry experts who participated in a two-day intensive selection process of 20 semi-finalists.
ASIP was founded by Telecel Group and is backed by leading technology partners such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Its mission is to support the next generation of early-stage African technology startups disrupting key industry verticals such as FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, eCommerce, Digital Health, and CleanTech. Telecel will connect the participating startups to markets across the continent via their mobile services.
Moh Damush, CEO of Telecel Group and founder of ASIP, stated, "We are thrilled to see the caliber of startups that participated in the final selection days, and we hope that the finalists thrive with what we have to offer in terms of assisting them in scaling more quickly and efficiently."
Eleanor Azar, Telecel Group Executive Deputy and ASIP Director, added, "The top twenty startups are all exceptional; it was a difficult choice, but we made it." We look forward to collaborating with the top ten and introducing them to our entities while assisting them in achieving their goals. I encourage the remaining teams to reapply for our upcoming cohort in nine months.“
Meet the startups that will be a part of the ASIP cohort in 2021
Agrodata has developed a cropping model centered on bees by utilizing an Internet of Things device called iSmarthives, which the startup installs for free on farmlands in Nigeria.
Agrix uses artificial intelligence and image recognition to identify crop diseases and recommend sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions to Africa's millions of small-scale farmers.
AGS Tribe is a pan-African community dedicated to inspiring, connecting, and empowering young entrepreneurs and professionals through capacity development, financial inclusion initiatives, and enterprise challenges.
Motito's buy now, pay later platform enables small businesses to offer their existing customers an interest-free credit option at the point of sale.
Expectant mothers can access tailored weekly maternal advice and support through Dawa Health, a multilingual, artificial intelligence-powered digital health platform.
Thumeza is an online platform that provides working capital to small-scale transporters based on their on- and off-platform operational activities.
Weza Ventures develops the underlying technology that enables financiers and retail merchants to offer goods and services to the informal sector on credit.
NucleusIS is a technology that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of Africa's health insurance value chain by reducing fraud, lowering costs, and increasing efficiency, as well as providing distribution channels for sales.
Ustacky is an online platform for stack-based learning that offers microdegrees and courses in programming and technology. The startup teaches Africans industry-relevant technology skills via high-quality video content, quizzes, and projects that assist students in their learning.
Worldbay Technologies is bringing crowd-funding and thrift to the food industry. The enterprise makes food more affordable for consumers by offering a monthly subscription service for staple foods and leveraging economies of scale to lower prices for subscribers.
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“I am pleased to have been able to participate in Telecel Group ASIP final selection days,” Dale Mathias, ASIP Advisor, stated. The breadth of talent on display over the last two days has been inspirational, and I am indebted to all participants for the time they invested in preparation for this event.”
Participants will spend three months beginning July 5th receiving intensive coaching through expert-led masterclasses covering scaling fundamentals such as the business model canvas, lean methodology, and fundraising.
They will each have the exciting opportunity to conduct pilot projects with corporate partners to demonstrate the impact of their solutions, which frequently result in commercial contracts that enable our alumni to achieve 18 months of growth in just three months.
Due to travel restrictions associated with Covid 19, this year's program will be entirely remote via the Accelerator Squared platform. This inaugural Telecel Group ASIP Accelerator powered by SBC AfriTech will conclude with an online Demo Day on September 30th, 2021, during which startup founders will pitch their disruptive solutions to a diverse audience of media, investors, corporate partners, and industry stakeholders.
Along with tailored support from experienced mentors and dedicated Entrepreneurs-In-Residence, the ten startups will receive benefits totaling more than $750,000, including credits and cash from Telecel Group, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Services, among others.
“We have a remarkable track record with the 29 alumni we have accelerated over the last three years – 88 percent of them are still operating, and they have collectively raised over $90 million in follow-on funding,” says Philip Kiracofe, Co-founder and Chief Disruptor at SBC AfriTech.
“We are overjoyed to be launching the inaugural ASIP Accelerator with Telecel Group and are already hard at work with these ten incredibly talented startups. We are confident they will be the next industry superstars and are also excited that eight of the ten startups in this year's cohort have at least one female co-founder! ”
Telecel Group and SBC AfriTech have also launched the ASIP Scale Program, which is targeted at later-stage scale-ups seeking access to commercial contracts and institutional investors.
The program assists these businesses in exploring pivots and new product offerings in order to expand their existing traction and reach new markets in Africa and beyond. Dove Air and Chekkit Technologies are the first companies to be invited to participate.
Chekkit Technologies develops product authentication technology to ensure the integrity of products and to protect consumers' lives.
Dove Air uses drones to expedite the delivery of medical products and vaccines. This enables national leaders and policymakers to develop real-time, on-demand delivery strategies for effective emergency medical response.
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