Demo Africa 2014: Kenya and Nigeria dominate final 40 list, but it won’t be another Twitter war

Demo Africa conference

This year, from the 25th to 26th September, DEMO Africa will again launch 40 of the most innovative start-ups in Africa and highlight some of the best new technology innovations from across the continent.

The 40 finalists have gone through three rigorous screening processes with the final vetting and adjudication done by a pan-African panel of judges comprised of entrepreneurs, VCs and Academia. The Judges included Dele Akinsade, Bob Mbori, Victor Okigbo, Lukonga Lidunda, Martin Butler, Rebecca Enonchong, Stephen Gugu, Ali Hussein, Muchiri Nyaga, Toby Shapshak, Moses Sitati and Richard Tanksley.

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More than 400 serious applications were processed in lead to this event. These were then short listed to 242 ventures before a selection of the final 40 was made. The ventures are addressing opportunities in Agriculture, Health, Education, Manufacturing, Retail, Media & Entertainment, Communication, Transport and Logistics, Energy, Finance & Banking, Water & Sanitation, and Waste Management & Recycling. On September 25 & 26, these 40 entrepreneurs will present their plans to a global audience of investors, media, strategic buyers, C-level executives, and other entrepreneurs.

Nigeria takes the largest chunk of the final 40, followed by Kenya, Ghana and Egypt. Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Ethiopia will each have two representatives, while Tunisia, Benin, Cameroon, Uganda and Zimbabwe have earned their space at the DEMO Africa platform.

Here is an overview of the selected ventures.

 1.

 

 

.CONNECT FINANCE allows companies to manage their finances, create invoices, quotations, sales orders, payments etc. Tope Olutola Nigeria

 2.

 

 

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ASiM is an integrated tool with Quickbooks and SAP Business One to produce rich, real-time business intelligence. Mark Migue Mwaura Kenya

 3.

 

Chura allows interoperability betwen different mobile networks in a multi-SIM environment. Stephanie Gaku Kenya

 4.

 

Cribpark is a catalogue of home
designs, a web shop, and projects management tool.
Oladapo Ayodeji Nigeria

 5.

 

 

Cube enables anyone (whether individual or business entity) to accept card payments in person with their phone. Titi Obala Nigeria

 6.

 

Feedbackplus lets customers give feedback to different organizations online or through a mobile app. Omoniyi Falodun Nigeria

 7.

 

 

Foodstantly an online marketplace
which provides customers with fresh
and cooked food + home delivery
services.
Uchay Ariolu Nigeria

 8.

 

 

Hutbay is a platform that helps real
estate consumers find and share vital information about real estate, mortgages, and agents.
Olatunji Owolabi Nigeria

 9.

 

 

InstaCare enables real-time verification
& authentication of beneficiary’s health insurance.
Michael Ike Nigeria

 10.

 

Integrated Medics a web based
application package to computerize any large scale hospital.
Oladapo Gbenle Nigeria

 11.

 

 

IroFit the only mobile card
payment system that allows merchants
to accept card payments without an internet connection.
Omoniyi A. Olawale Nigeria

 12.

 

Jifunza provides everyone equal
access to the learning, loving and
LOLing that digital content offers.
Derek Blair Rwanda

 13.

 

Kitiwa helps ordinary Africans send and receive money using the bitcoin technology. Nikunj Handa Ghana Nigeria

 14.

 

 

LocName is an application that
gives a short, unique name for your address, which you can share easily in just 2 seconds.
Zeinab Alashry Egypt

 15.

 

 

Matibabu is a phone application for
early, non-invasive malaria diagnosis with a custom piece of hardware (Matiscope).
Gitta Brian Uganda

 16.

 

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Mergims is an online platform that will enable African immigrants to pay
tuition fees, airtime and utility bills
for their loves ones back home.
Muhire Louis-Antoine Rwanda

 17.

 

MobileJobs (mjobs) powered by SOMTEC is a web and mobile job
alert and recruitment services.
Solomon Bleay Ethiopia

 18.

 

MuZik is a virtual assistant for feature phones. Patrick Mveng Cameroon

19.

 

MyeCompus.net is an online teaching
and learning platform.
Cecil Nukator Ghana

 20.

 

Nerve delivers cost-effective,
higher quality and mobile convergent
smart devices and services.
Silas Okwocha Nigeria

 21.

 

 

Nikweli is a mobile-to-web job matching platform that connects employers
and job seekers for lower skill,
“blue collar” type positions.
Tiffany Tong Tanzania

 22.

 

 

Online Hisab is a cloud based accounting package for Ethiopian SMEs who are looking for an affordable and easy to use solution. Asmeret Gebre Ethiopia

 23.

 

Oradian is a cloud based core banking system for microfinance.  Antonio Separovic Nigeria

 24.

 

Paysail is a simple way for busniesses and accountants to better manage payroll. Osborn Kwarteng Ghana

 25.

 

 

PieRide is a ridesharing technology platform offering monthly
subscription transportation service
for daily commuters.
Karim El Mansi Egypt

 26.

 

Pliby online platform for the African
music lovers.
Prudence Ogatcha Benin

 27.

 

Prepclass is an education technology company focused on local content for digital devices. Ogunlana Olomide Nigeria

 28.

 

 

Saisai is a wireless mesh network distributing free access to wireless hotspots in public areas and public transportation. Christopher Alexander Manzero Zimbabwe

 29.

 

 

Shamba Technologies renewable technology company that designs domestic power products for families in Africa without power. Oliver Kynaston Tanzania UK

 30.

 

 

SmartPesa allows merchants to accept credit card payments using a mobile phone. Comprising a low cost card reader, app and server-side processing. Barry Levett South Africa

 31.

 

 

SokoNect an agribusiness solution designed to shorten the distribution channels of agricultural produce while facilitating fast trade between farmers and their prospective buyers. Mbuvi Nyamai Kenya

 32.

 

SpacePointe is an e-commerce marketplace which focuses on the African retailer. Sayu Abend Nigeria

 33.

 

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SpellAfrica Initiative is a set of proprietary apps for all smartphone operating systems. It is a softphone running on your current smartphone. Elvis Austins Nigeria

 34.

 

 

Telecosys delivers innovative software solutions for Tech-based service providers including Telecom operators, Internet Service Providers, Cloud-based service providers, and pay TV. Mohamed Esmat Egypt

 35.

 

 

The Pearl Dream Inc is a digital collection of African stories for kids and eCommerce retail site for animation inspired items. Brian Asingia Kenya

 36.

 

 

TrafficBytes is a solution which allows mobile operators and telecom vendors to leverage existing big data and provide realtime accurate roads traffic information. Mohamed Hussein Egypt

 37.

 

 

Valuraha Trader is a platform that simulates the African Financial Markets, enabling one to interact with various investment instruments under actual market conditions using virtual money. Betty Mutimba Kenya

 38.

 

 

VIGO is a fully responsive website building tool allowing African entrepreneurs and business owners to create their own websites from any device, including a feature phone. Carl Wallace South Africa

 39.

 

VOTO Mobile is a mobile phone notification and survey platform. Kevin Schuster Ghana

 40.

What’sIn™ mobile application platform service allows consumers with chemical allergies to instantly find the correct information when they scan a product UPC. Wassim Zoghlami Tunisia

 

Kenya is known for involving its neighbours in cyberspace warfare especially  on Twitter. The most pronounced one was when the Twitterati  from Kenya and Nigeria hurled a barrage of 14o  character-insults  at eachother

H/T: Demo-Africa

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