Startups selected for AfricArena VivaTech 2019 delegation

These startups emerged as the top high-growth and high-potential startups in the Open Innovation Challenges of the AfricArena 2018 Tour.

The two local startups form part of the top ten, including DataProphet and Aerobotics, two high-performance innovators from the Cape tech ecosystem.“Cape Town has been named Africa’s leading technology hub, and so it is our honour to see two Cape Town-based startups having such an impact on the tech ecosystem”, says Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management.

Isaac Matsa, sales executive at DataProphet

“We are incredibly proud of the two local startups selected to be part of the AfricArena 2019 delegation and look forward to accompanying them to VivaTech in Paris this year to represent Cape Town. As an opportunity city, we look forward to continuing enabling the Tech sector and seeing more success stories related to smart cities and economic improvement.

"The two local startups selected for the 2019 AfricArena VivaTech delegation are Aerobotics and DataProphet."We are honoured to be chosen as one of the ten startups to attend VivaTech,” says Frans Cronje, CEO at DataProphet.

“AfricaArena is leading the way and opening doors for innovative technology vendors born in Africa. The African market is often overlooked when it comes to foreign investment, yet the expertise and innovation is more advanced than some of the biggest tech vendors in the world. We’re excited about the opportunity to showcase our proven Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in manufacturing to investors at the event and meeting other technology pioneers."

Both DataProphet and Aerobotics will not only attend the VivaTech conference itself but also accompany AfricArena to New York as part of their Investor Roadshow. For investors interested in African tech, AfricArena in partnership with SAP Next Gen Innovation Space, Wesgro, and French Tech New York, will host an AfricArena NYC Investor Event, on Monday 13 May 2019 in the Big Apple itself.

At this event, DataProphet and Aerobotics, joined by Johannesburg based FinChatBot will pitch to an audience of international investors.

"We’ve worked hard to gain the trust of more than a thousand farmers in ten countries. Winning the AfricArena VivaTech Challenge strengthens our expansion springboard into Europe,” adds Timothy Willis, COO of Aerobotics.

James Paterson, CEO at Aerobotics

“We are excited that attending VivaTech this year will take us to New York and France as it forms part of our market expansion strategy.”This delegation comprises African-based tech startups that have the potential to gain international traction.

The ten startups selected to form the AfricArena 2019 delegation are:

• Aerobotics (Cape Town): Aerobotics uses aerial imagery from drones and satellites and machine learning algorithms for early problem detection on tree and wine farms to optimise crop performance for farmers.
  
• DataProphet (Cape Town): DataProphet’s OMNI provides solutions to critical manufacturing challenges. It is AI-enabled dynamic parameter optimisation for manufacturing.
  
• FinChatBot (Johannesburg): FinChatBot develops AI-powered Chatbots that help financial services providers acquire and retain customers while reducing operational costs.
  
• Guardian Gabriel (Cape Town): Guardian Gabriel is an early stage venture incubated at the French South African Tech Labs specialising in safety tech – providing a wearable panic button that works with no connection to a smartphone.
  
• HomeFarm (Johannesburg): HomeFarm is a smart, IoT, crop-growing app that allows users to effortlessly grow a variety of micro-greens from the comfort of their home all year round.
  
• MedBit (Nairobi): Medbit provides a means to search for, book and pay for various healthcare services on a smartphone or computer.
  
• OniriQ (Dakar): OniriQ is designing and manufacturing the next-gen Solar Home Systems (SHS) for African populations living off-grid (600 million people).
  
• PayDunya (Dakar): PayDunya is a global online payment service for Africans that allows customers to send and receive payments from mobile money wallets, credit cards and cash and allows users to get paid and sell online without the need of a website.
  
• SeaMonster (Cape Town): SeaMonster creates custom VR games that entertain passengers and allow them to compete for rewards.
  
• TravelBudds (Mauritius_: TravelBudds is the social network for young, connected travel lovers looking for the best ways to travel the world and share their experiences with their friends.

“African tech innovation is globally competitive, and we welcome the opportunity for these outstanding startups from the African continent to take part in one of the biggest tech conferences in the world, especially through a platform like AfricArena,” states Yaw Peprah, chief business officer at Wesgro, who will accompany the delegation to VivaTech.

“We are particularly proud that two of the selected companies are from Cape Town, which also plays host to the annual AfricArena Summit. The Cape is fast emerging as the Tech Capital of Africa, with a recent research study confirming that the Cape Town-Stellenbosch ecosystem is the most productive in Africa. These companies present an excellent showcase of our local talent. We are thankful to AfricArena and its partners for supporting these companies to reach new heights at an international level.”

AfricArena teams up with corporate and institutional partners under the banner of utilising business and technology as a force for good in uplifting the African continent. The partners of AfricArena helped handpick the delegation and some key representatives will accompany the team to VivaTech, which takes place in Paris from 16–18 May 2019.

AfricArena is anchored and endorsed by the following partners: Silicon Cape, La French Tech, Air France – KLM, Methys, BNP Paribas, Engie, and Vinci Energies.

For more, go to www.africarena.co.za.