Startup Club ZA

Meet your Winners, South Africa! 🏆 🇿🇦 After weeks of anticipation, thousands of public votes and careful adjudication by our 25-person all-star judging committee, it all came down to announcing the winners of this year's South African Startup Awards last night, in front of a packed house at Cape Town’s Royal Yacht Club (with hundreds more watching online). Without further ado, we’re proud to present your 2024 winners: 🤖 AI & BIG DATA: Yazi - the WhatsApp-integrated research platform ensuring better responses and insights. 🧬 BIOTECH: Immobazyme - catalysing innovation through precision fermentation, to produce high-value active protein ingredients. 🌱 CLIMATE/SUSTAINABILITY: The Awareness Company - enabling large enterprises to tackle sustainability challenges, while optimising profit. 🙋 CONSUMERTECH: Truvu - Virtual Tours - bridging the gap in online property browsing. 💻 DIGITAL COMMERCE: Hailr - The platform transforming ads into engaging, playable and rewarding user experiences. 📚 EDTECH: Melsoft Academy - Equipping Africans students to launch successful careers in software development. 💳 FINTECH: Float - Africa's 1st card-linked instalment platform. 💼 FUTURE OF WORK: Jem HR - The Whatsapp-enabled HR and employee benefits platform for frontline employees. 🩺 HEALTHTECH: Strove - The integrated wellbeing and engagement platform for the modern workforce. 💵 INFORMAL MARKET: Delivery Ka Speed SA - The delivery service bringing accessibility to townships. 🚚 MOBILITY/LOGISTICS: MotionAds - The delivery bike advertising solution, increasing brand visibility for companies and supplementing driver income. 🙋 PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Happy Pay - Empowering South African consumers with zero-cost credit. What a showcase of the remarkable potential in our country and we wish all category winners (and finalists) our sincere congratulations! 👏 In case you missed it, you can re-watch the livestream:  https://lnkd.in/grz45WtH, or checkout the event album here: https://lnkd.in/dPPkmzGW. Thank you again to this year’s entrants, voters, judges and ecosystem partners, FNB South Africa, Momentum Group Limited, E Squared Investments , Paystack, Guardrisk, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Aions Creative Technology, Origen Software | A Product Building Company, ALX Ventures, Injini , South African Future Trust, ONE39 Central | Project & Event Architects, Melon Mobile, Impact Capital Africa, HAVAÍC, Dommisse Attorneys Inc, Manjaro Marketing, Jozi Angels, OfferZen and Jonsson Workwear.

What a year! 🇿🇦 Across all efforts, the SCZA community scaled to 5K+ people in-person and 20K+ online, with a fast-growing national reach that's increasingly representative of our country's remarkable (and diverse) entrepreneurs, innovators and enablers. Despite 2024's macro headwinds - South African founders and investors proved their resilience, resourcefulness and ability to create significant social and commercial value - and we couldn’t be prouder! At SCZA, we're committed as ever to supporting our country's tech ecosystem, on route to building a flourishing #StartupNation by 2030. The best is yet to come! A final thank you to our 2024 anchor partners, FNB South Africa, Momentum Group Limited, E Squared Investments , Paystack, Guardrisk, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Aions Creative Technology, Origen Software | A Product Building Company, ALX Ventures, Injini and South African Future Trust.

2024 Partnership Series: Meet Origen Software | A Product Building Company🤝 Origen is one of South Africa's leading multi-lingual software development agencies - helping founders build, startups grow and corporates innovate. The team comprises digital designers, UI/UX maestros, web developers, app magicians and functional testing pro's. With client's ranging from budding startups to established corporates, building complex platforms to internal optimisation tools - Origen takes the time to understands the nuances of industries and partners with founders & companies to create market-leading technical solutions. Startup Club has been proud to partner with Origen Software since our inception - watch this space for the release of our platform in 2025! Visit www.origen.software to connect or learn more 🚀 **** About our Partnership Series: At SCZA, impactful collaborations are at the core of what we do. We partner intentionally with organisations that are putting in the work to boost entrepreneurship, drive innovation, back the change-makers and co-create a better country. Hear about who they are, why we've partnered and how you can learn more. cc Harley Ferguson Jonathan Georgeu Makayla Bezuidenhout Kieran Moore Emma Amber Ferguson

Are you an entrepreneurship or startup enthusiast? Then we've got your holiday listening sorted. Episode 18 of The Startup Club Podcast is out now! 🎉 In this episode, we're thrilled to sit down with Abubakari Malik Addae, Co-Founder and CEO of Lifecheq - the South African scale-up democratising access to financial advice and using AI to enable brokers to improve client experience and drive efficiency. Founded in 2015, LifeCheq is disrupting the multi-trillion rand sector through a tech-first proposition that enhances the effectiveness and accessibility of financial advice in the South African market. The business has since has grown to a team of 75 serving over 200K users, and has raised more than R100m in venture capital, from the likes of Naspers Limited, Futuregrowth Asset Management and ARC Investments. With such a significant challenge (and opportunity) in their sights, the team remains laser-focussed on building accessible and effective financial advice for underserved clients in emerging markets. We talk about: • Abu's upbringing and career. • Early success and navigating risk. • Moving from corporate executive to founder. • Raising capital and the right team. • Disrupting an established sector. • What's next for Abu and LifeCheq. Click to watch on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts https://lnkd.in/d7Zab7NQ or https://lnkd.in/dG_uD8wz 🎧 - This episode was brought to you in partnership with Momentum Group Limited - one of South African’s leading financial services companies. The group's mission is to build and protect their clients' financial dreams - whilst providing a sense of certainty in an increasingly uncertain world. They also place innovation and digital transformation at their core and are excited about proactively advancing the country's startup ecosystem. Visit momentumgroupltd.co.za to learn more 🚀 #startups #founders #podcast #southafrica #tech #fintech #advice cc Shen Tian Grant Appel CA(SA) Amrishsingh Narrandes Ravikumaran Govender Aatish Ramkaran Shelley Ric-Hansen Heather Noble - (Executive Group MMH Brand Marketing).

📸 Checkout the highlights from the 2024 South African Startup Awards! Or visit our event album here: https://lnkd.in/dPPkmzGW. A final congratulations to our 12 category winners: Delivery Ka Speed SA, Float, Hailr, Happy Pay, Immobazyme, Jem HR, Melsoft Academy, MotionAds, The Awareness Company, Truvu - Virtual Tours, Strove and Yazi and shout-out to our other incredible finalists (see comments section), as well as guest performers, Schalk Bezuidenhout and Morgan Beatbox! And thank you once again to our brilliant event partners: FNB South Africa, Momentum Group Limited, E Squared Investments , Paystack, Guardrisk, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Aions Creative Technology, Origen Software | A Product Building Company, ALX Ventures, Injini , South African Future Trust, ONE39 Central | Project & Event Architects, Melon Mobile, Impact Capital Africa, HAVAÍC, Dommisse Attorneys Inc, Manjaro Marketing, Jozi Angels, OfferZen and Jonsson Workwear. The future of the South African tech ecosystem is brighter than ever!

It all comes down to this ... 🚀 Last week, our 25 judges convened to score and select the 12 category winners of the 2024 South African Startup Awards - who will be announced live TOMORROW via livestream. 2024’s winners will claim the title of "South African Startup of the Year" in their respective category, receive national media exposure and a host of other exciting prizes compliments of FNB South Africa, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Melon Mobile, Jonsson Workwear, Dommisse Attorneys Inc and OfferZen. Join us from 7pm as we celebrate the movers and shakers of our country’s tech startup ecosystem! Register here https://lu.ma/cql91jth 👈 Startup Club is honoured to host this year's event in partnership with: FNB South Africa, Momentum Group Limited, E Squared Investments , Paystack, Guardrisk, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Aions Creative Technology, Origen Software | A Product Building Company, ALX South Africa, Injini , South African Future Trust, Melon Mobile, Impact Capital Africa, HAVAÍC, Dommisse Attorneys Inc, Manjaro Marketing, Jozi Angels, OfferZen and Jonsson Workwear.

The finalists of the 2024 South African Startup Awards 🇿🇦 ⬇️ After careful review of this year’s entrants - alongside a record-breaking week of public voting (in which we received 5,109 combined votes in just 5 days) - the 39 startups advancing to our final judging round are: AI & BIG DATA 🤖 Adbot / Mergemega / Yazi BIOTECH 🧬 BioCertica / Immobazyme / MariHealth Solutions® CLIMATE/SUSTAINABILITY 🌱 The Awareness Company / Plentify / Plant the Seed CONSUMERTECH 🙋 Buzzer - Community Safety App / Enhle Flora / Truvu - Virtual Tours DIGITAL COMMERCE 💻 Conservio / Hailr / KasiD Pty Ltd / Rekisa eCommerce Solutions EDTECH 📚 Keller Education / Limu Lab / Melsoft Academy / Zaio Institute of Technology FINTECH 💳 @Float / Happy Pay / LeaseSurance FUTURE OF WORK 💼 Crayon 🖍️ / Jem HR / Jobox / ServCraft HEALTHTECH 🩺 Engage Mx / Mia Healthcare / Strove / Welo Health INFORMAL MARKET 💵 Delivery Ka Speed SA / Sellers Plug / Tributree MOBILITY/LOGISTICS 🚚 Eagle Eye Defence / MotionAds / Smartee - IES / Zimi ***PEOPLE'S CHOICE 🙋 Crayon / Fuel Switch (fuelswitch.io) / Happy Pay / Keller Education / Limu Lab / Plant the Seed. Congratulations to our finalists! Over the next 48 hours, our 25-person judging committee will convene to score and select the ultimate category winners of the South African Startup Awards - who will be announced live from 7pm on 26 November. Register to watch the free livestream here: https://lu.ma/cql91jth 🎉 See you next week, South Africa!

Thank you, South Africa - you've outdone yourselves! 🇿🇦 Over the past 5 days, the nationwide ecosystem rallied and we received a record number of votes in support of this year's shortlisted startups. Now comes the tough, but exciting part! We'll be announcing our category finalists on Monday 18th November, before our 25 judges will score and select the overall winners of the 2024 South African Startup Awards. Stay tuned to our channels and signup to our newsletter to stay in-the-know (https://startupclubza.com/). Winners will be announced via livestream on Tuesday, 26th November. Register to watch the livestream here https://lu.ma/cql91jth. 🏆

IT'S TIME TO VOTE, SOUTH AFRICA! 🇿🇦 We're humbled by the incredible response to this year’s South African Startup Awards - receiving 202 entries in just 5 days! After careful review of each to ensure adherence to our entry criteria - we've advanced 64 startups to our public voting round (see link in comments). Now it's your chance to have you say, by voting for your most-deserving startup. By doing so, you'll help our 25 judges narrow down the category shortlists before final judging. Plus - the startup that attracts the most votes will walk away with our “People’s Choice” Award! ➡️ Follow this link: https://lnkd.in/dPnhyCu9  ➡️ Click on the “Vote" button. ➡️ Find your favourite startup using the search bar, then click the "thumbs up" to submit your vote. You’ll receive an OTP via email to ensure you’re not a bot (so check your spam folder just in case). Voting closes at midnight on Friday, 15th November! Join us in celebrating the movers and shakers of our country’s tech startup ecosystem in 2024! 🏆

Meet our 25 esteemed judges for the 2024 South African Startup Awards! 🏆 Comprising respected founders, investors, corporate stakeholders and agency partners from across the startup ecosystem, they're well-positioned to choose this year's 11 industry-specific category winners - who will be announced live at our in-person awards night on 26 November in Cape Town. ENTRIES CLOSE TOMORROW and we open for public voting on Monday 11 November (to help our judges narrow our category shortlists). Submit your entry today - https://lnkd.in/dPnhyCu9 👈 * See competition portal for criteria, guidelines, process and prizes. Startup Club is honoured to to host this year's awards in partnership with: FNB South Africa, Momentum Group, E Squared Investments , Paystack, Guardrisk, MakeReign | A Customer Experience Company, Aions Creative Technology, Origen Software | A Product Building Company, ALX South Africa, Injini , South African Future Trust, Melon Mobile, Impact Capital Africa, HAVAÍC, Dommisse Attorneys, Manjaro Marketing, Jozi Angels, OfferZen and Jonsson Workwear. cc: Jonathan Smit, Calvin Collett, Ndabenhle Junior Ngulube, Nico Jacobs, Tshilidzi Matlala, CFA, Tyrone Moodley, Alexei McGregor, Ravikumaran Govender, Thandeka Xaba, Matt Beck, Dilshaan Chetty, Brian Masondo, Joel Bronkowski, Tiffany Moore, Omelele Mmbo, Divesh Sooka, Renier Kriel, Kerryn Campion, Marco Buissinne, Tim Kelly, Khomotšo Grace Legodi, Luke Engel, Sanjay Soni CA(SA), Heidi Patmore and Harley Ferguson.