After a successful batch 1 Plug and Play’s Smart Cities program, the company has launched a second accelerator program in the region with a similar strategy to other successful Plug and Play programs globally.
This program aims to help startups across the African continent gain access to Plug and Play’s network of corporations and venture capitalists and expand their businesses outside the region.
Recall in September, Plug and Play hosted their second regional selection process which took place in a virtual setting. Executives drawn from the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, OCP Group, and other engaged business units witnessed 16 African startups make their pitches in effect shortlisted by the Plug and Play Ventures team.
This was followed by a vote to choose a line of startups considered ready for the second acceleration batch. The equity-free program targets innovative and forward-thinking startups looking to shape the future of Africa out of StartGate – The largest startup facility in North Africa situated at UM6P’s campus in Ben Guerir, Morocco.
11 startups that officially entered the second batch from Uganda, Morocco, and Tunisia specialise in diverse fields such as energy, enterprise tech, retail, industry fintech, health, and IoT etc.
They include DeepEcho an AI-driven digital health startup, Uganda fintech Emata, I-Sense and Saas solution, Jobop an on-demand staffing platform, MintHR a Saas all-in-one employee experience platform, Mouhimatech a freelancer matching company, Pega Health a digital health insurtech, Saweblia a home and office repair company, Veenzen a Work-Life Harmony BtoB solution, mobile payment solution Wafr, and Wattnow, an IoT Energy Management Solution.
The teams will go through a three-month in-person program offering several opportunities for the growth of small businesses. This translates to 4 interactive weekly workshops and direct one-on-one coaching with international experts on several subjects such as growth hacking, digital marketing, accounting, pricing and revenue models, tax law, early-stage investments, go-to-market strategies, storytelling and purposeful narrative.
