The 2019 GSMA Mobile 360 – Africa conference is fast approaching and will be held in Kigali between 16 and 18 July. From start-ups to mobile operators, regulators to tech hardware manufacturers, NGOs to banks, the event will bring together over 1,000 mobile industry stakeholders from across the continent to discuss ‘the rise of the Digital Citizen.’ As the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator programme will be participating in the event, we wanted to share a preview of what we’ll be doing there.
We are very pleased to announce that 12 of the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund’s African start-ups from all three rounds will be present at the event. Along with attending the Mobile 360 – Africa conference, five of our portfolio start-ups will be speaking on stage during different sessions throughout the three-day event:
- PrepClass (Nigeria): A digital tutoring marketplace that connects learners and teachers.
- Olumide Ogunlana, Co-founder and COO of PrepClass, will be speaking about ‘Educate to Empower’ on Tuesday, 16 July at 16:15 – 17:30.
- Twiga Foods (Kenya): A mobile solution for MSMEs to pay taxes to municipal authorities transparently.
- Caine Wanjau, CTO of Twiga Foods, will be speaking during a side session on ‘AgriTech: Digital disruption of the agricultural sector in Africa: are we prepared for the next 5 years?’ on Wednesday, 17 July at 07:45 – 09:45 and will be on a panel for the Mobile Money Forum, ‘Amplifying impact: Empowering MSMEs and entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital economy’ on Thursday, 18 July at 10:00 – 11:00.
- Taskmoby (Ethiopia): A mobile platform connecting skilled workers from the informal sector with customers.
- Ezana Raswork, Founder and CEO of Taskmoby, will be speaking about ‘Young, Gifted and African: Does a Culture of Equality Drive Innovation?’ on Wednesday, 17 July at 09:15 – 10:30.
- Hear seven of the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator start-ups pitch, including Agrocenta (Ghana), Eneza (Côte d’Ivoire), Ensibuuko (Uganda), Farmcrowdy (Nigeria), Lynk (Kenya), Kea Medicals (Benin) and MaTontine (Senegal).
- Martin Karanja, Director of Market Engagement, GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator, will be leading our start-ups in a pitching session as they showcase their mobile innovations, on Wednesday, 17 July at 15:30 – 16:00 on the Better Future Stage.
- Coliba (Côte d’Ivoire): A mobile-supported plastic recycling solution.
- Genesis Ehimegbe, Co-founder and CEO of Coliba, will be speaking about ‘Do Citizens Need a Digital City?’ on Wednesday, 17 July at 16:15 – 17:30.
- Sudpay (Senegal): A mobile solution for MSMEs to pay taxes to municipal authorities transparently.
- Samba Sow, Co-founder and CEO of Sudpay, will be speaking about ‘Do Citizens Need a Digital City?’ on Wednesday, 17 July at 16:15 – 17:30.
Photo 1: Francis A. Obirikorang – Co-founder and CEO of Agrocenta at 4YFN 2019, Photo 2: Caine Wanjau – CTO of Twiga Foods at 4YFN 2019, Photo 3: Ezana Raswork, Founder and CEO of Taskmoby at 4FYN 2019
Photo 4: Dr Arielle Ahouansou – Co-founder and CEO of Kea Medicals at Mobile 360 – West Africa 2019, Photo 5: Genesis Ehimegbe – Co-founder and CEO of Coliba at 4YFN 2019 and Photo 6: Samba Sow – Co-founder and CEO of Sudpay at Mobile 360 – West Africa 2019
You will also get a chance to meet our portfolio start-ups if you drop by our hub in the Innovation Showcase area of the conference:
Agrocenta (Ghana): Mobile financial services for smallholder farmers through ‘Agropay’ and ‘Agrotrade’;
Eneza (Côte d’Ivoire): SMS-based educational content for primary and secondary school students;
Ensibuuko (Uganda): Cloud-based core banking software customised for savings and credit cooperatives;
Farmcrowdy (Nigeria): Online platform for individuals and businesses to invest in farming projects;
Lynk (Kenya): Digital platform that connects households and businesses with verified domestic workers, artisans and blue-collar professionals;
Kea Medicals (Benin): Medical identity solution for patients and hospitals;
MaTontine (Senegal): Solution to digitise traditional savings circles (‘tontines’) and facilitate access to credit and financial services.
Our Head of Programme, Max Cuvellier, will be present, along with Director of Market Engagement, Martin Karanja, Senior Market Engagement Manager, Peter Ndichu, and Market Engagement Manager, Greg Omondi, who will be available to share our latest insights with you, present the 34 start-ups of our current portfolio and give you the latest updates on our programme. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them ahead of the event and schedule meetings if you want to know more about our work!
The 2019 edition promises an exciting agenda, engaging panels and prosperous networking opportunities. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Ecosystem Accelerator programme is supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Australian Government, the GSMA and its members.
