DEMO Africa 2014 is the launchpad for emerging technology and trends which will be held on the 22nd to 26th September 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria. This year 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.
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 top Nigerian startups selected for DEMO Africa 2014.
1. CONNECT FINANCE allows companies to manage their finances, create invoices, quotations, sales orders, payments etc.
2. Cribpark is a catalogue of home designs, a web shop, and projects management tool.
3. Cube enables anyone (whether individual or business entity) to accept card payments in person with their phone.
4. Feedbackplus lets customers give feedback to different organizations online or through a mobile app.
5. Foodstantly an online marketplace which provides customers with fresh and cooked food + home delivery services.
6. Hutbay is a platform that helps real estate consumers find and share vital information about real estate, mortgages, and agents.
7. InstaCare enables real-time verification & authentication of beneficiary’s health insurance.
8. Integrated Medics a web based application package to computerize any large scale hospital.
9. IroFit the only mobile card payment system that allows merchants to accept card payments without an internet connection.
10. Nerve delivers cost-effective, higher quality and mobile convergent smart devices and services.
11. Oradian is a cloud based core banking system for microfinance.
12. Prepclass is an education technology company focused on local content for digital devices.
13. SpacePointe is an e-commerce marketplace which focuses on the African retailer.
14. SpellAfrica Initiative is a set of proprietary apps for all smartphone operating systems. It is a softphone running on your current smartphone.
DEMO Africa is a must-attend event for both investors, entrepreneurs, tech media & others looking for Africa’s ‘next big thing’. You can book your tickets online now or join as a V.I.P. if you are an investor.
