Tech

African startups get set for 3rd OceanHub accelerator programme

Published

3 years ago

May 2, 2022

OceanHub Africa, an ocean-impact accelerator which helps existing African ocean-minded initiatives grow, is launching the third edition of its eight-month acceleration program to support up to 10 of Africa’s most promising impact for-profit startups focused on preserving and restoring the health of the ocean.

The accelerator programme, according to the Cape Town, South Africa-based firm on its website, is meant to support ocean-minded start-ups with the express aim of nurturing an environmentally conscious and profitable economy that effectively mitigates the effects of global warming as well as the overexploitation and pollution of the oceans.

Leveraging its highly qualified network of stakeholders and facilitators, the programme will deliver to the accelerated start-ups an online program that seeks out sustainable pathways yielding stable profits and avenues for scalable growth throughout Africa, it said.

The OceanHub Africa which was launched in 2020, has supported a total of 16 African ocean-minded startups in various sectors of the Blue Economy, such as aquaculture, fisheries, shipbuilding, marine renewables and biotechnologies, coastal tourism and ocean sports, awareness and education, data.exploration, and ocean plastic circular economy, according to a statement by the organisers.

Participants in the programme which will run from mid-July until the end of February 2023, are guaranteed networking with of leading ocean experts, mentors entrepreneurs, investors, innovation experts, impact experts, scientists, lawyers, as well as impact investors and potential clients.

Participation in the programme is expected to be an in-person training bootcamp in Cape Town where tailored business skills, business coaching and personal development will be the main focus for the duration of the camping.

At the end of the programme, the selected startups will take part in an OceanHub Africa’s alumni programme through which they will benefit from fundraising, business development and networking support.

Related Topics:African Startups Featured Innovations OceanHub

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Tech

Facebook returns to Uganda after 4-year ban

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

After four years of being in the cooler as a result of suspension by government, Facebook, now Meta, is making a return to Uganda after prolonged negotiations saw the Ugandan government reverse the ban it placed on the platform since 2021.

The suspension of the social media platform had stemmed from accusations by the government that Facebook was meddling in the country’s political affairs during the 2021 presidential elections which arose after it deleted government-affiliated accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.

This ban of Facebook has led to widespread disruptions across the nation, affecting not only political discourse but also personal connections and business operations.

But according to reports, with a potential re-launch on the horizon for December 2024, Facebook’s comeback could be a game-changer with approximately 2.5 million Ugandans poised to reconnect on the platform, while the Uganda Revenue Authority stands to gain financially from its revival just as businesses, especially smaller enterprises, stand to benefit from advertising incomes.

Tech

20 African tech-preneurs embark on Korean innovation tour

Published

4 days ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab has selected 20 promising tech entrepreneurs from various African technology ventures and enterprise support organisations to embark on a two-week study tour of the Republic of Korea, with the aim of seeking investment and insights from the country’s innovative tech ecosystem.

The selected entrepreneurs are from 133 ventures that participated in last month’s Africa Tech Startup Forum.

The forum which will hold under the auspices of the lab’s “Leveraging the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Success of Korea to Strengthen African Enterprise Support” project, had selected entrepreneurs who pitched the best business models during the week-long virtual market access and acceleration programme preparing, training, and connecting technology ventures with opportunities.

The 20 young tech-preneurs were selected from eight African countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, with the delegates spanning various sectors in the technology space.

While in Korea, the African delegates will pay visits to prestigious institutions such as Global Startup Centre, LG Science Park, the Korea Software Technology Association, and the Global Digital Innovation Network.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates, founder of Kenya-based health technology venture Zuri Health, Uche Ezadinachi said:

“I am excited to go to Korea because the country has made serious technological developments. The country is a technology-driven society, and this tour is an opportunity for me to see how we can bring such technology to Africa.

“We will share experiences with our Korean counterparts; they will learn from us as much as we learn from them,” he added.