Greenhouse Capital Announces Finalists for 2019 Tech Accelerator Programme

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 / 01:15PM / By VentureGarden Group / Header Image Credit: The CPA Journal

Pan-Africanearly-stage Venture Capital firm -GreenHouse Capital -has announced the 10finalists for its immersive female-focused Tech Accelerator program run byGreenHouse Lab.

Makingthe announcement at GreenHouse Capital's Lagos office, Founding Partner at thefirm, Kunmi Demuren, said this year's cohorts were selected from a diverse poolof over 200 impressive applications from across the African continent followinga rigorous vetting process. The startups comprise of a phenomenal blend ofyoung tech companies building unique solutions to some of Africa's toughestproblems ranging from medical education to matchmaking/dating; hardwareproduction to software development; from Botswana to Nigeria.

Theseinclude Nigerian startups, Doctoora -which provide healthcareprofessionals with medical facility rentals for their private practice and runsan online marketplace where consumers can connect to healthcare professionals;and Gricd -which builds Internet of Things-enabled (IoT) smartactive cooling devices (a flagship product called the Frij) to store andtransport temperature-sensitive vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs.

Thesetwo startups were finalists in the #NES 25 Startups Pitching Event at theclosing plenary of the recently concluded 25th Nigerian Economic Summit inAbuja; sponsored by GreenHouse Capital and Venture Garden Group.

Alsoon the list are Bace - a Ghana-based Fintech startup thatharnesses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition to improveKnow-Your-Customer (KYC) protocols for financial institutions; and Vimosure -a Botswana -based startup that offers a platform which leverages sensor-basedIoT systems and data analytics to reduce costs and increase transparencybetween vehicle insurers and consumers.

"Theingenuity on display in our cohort this year is simply breathtaking. Anyone whothinks Africa's tech boom has plateaued needs only look at the next generationof startups coming up and the problems they are solving to see that that theecosystem is becoming more and more exciting each year," emphasized Demuren.

Riding on last year'shighly successful flagship accelerator program, GreenHouse Lab 2019 will onceagain take place at Africa's largest tech hub - Vibranium Valley, Ikeja, Lagos.As part of the investor readiness acceleration program, the 10 companies willgain access to a lucrative suite of resources, including: an immersive,tech-focused curriculum led by Google mentors and industry experts; products,resources, and proof of concept opportunities with GreenHouse Lab partners,including Google Launchpad, DIY Law and Oracle; the opportunity to receiveinvestment from GreenHouse Capital and their global network of investors;amongst others.

GreenHouse Lab culminatesin a Demo Day in early December where the startups will present their ideas toan audience of global investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and media.

Thisyear's cohort also include Nigeria-based startups: Datespace - anon-demand dating app that transforms the way Africans find love by connectingyoung, working professionals to memorable dating experiences; Mashup Beauty- an e-commerce startup driving customer acquisition and sales forbeauty-focused MSMEs via an online marketplace and business management Softwareas a Service (SAAS) solution; OTRAC -an e-learning platform fortailored trainings/courses for public and general Health practitioners; SchoolsFocus - a one-stop school management solution; Whip Music Africa - aplatform for African artists to access connections and opportunities needed totake their music careers to the next level by increase collaboration andrevenue creation among creatives in Africa's music industry; and Vesicash - a platform that provides secure digital transactions and promotesfinancial transparency between MSMEs.

About GreenHouse Lab

GreenHouseLab is fixed term (2-months) female-focused tech accelerator program (the firstof its kind in Nigeria) that provides promising and emerging startups withvaluable resources such as advisory, mentorship, hands-on training andtechnical assistance, which then propels them towards investor readiness.GreenHouse Labs was founded in 2018 by GreenHouse Capital - a pan-Africanearly-stage Venture Capital firm based in Lagos, Nigeria

GreenHouseLab is powered by Google Launchpad. For its second installment, GreenHouse Labis honored to partner with Vibranium Valley, Venture Garden Group, the NigerianEconomic Summit Group, Oracle, Paga and Paystack.