Rera, a platform that enables retail consumers to farm their own chickens and save up to 40% from buying poultry produce without having to own the infrastructure of a chicken farm was selected the best startup in Zimbabwe for its innovative sustainable solution.
As a part of the prize, Rera will be participating at the Seedstars Summit, taking place in Switzerland, in April 2019. It is a weeklong training program with the opportunity to meet the 65+ winners from other fast growing economies, as well as investors and mentors from around the world. The final day of the Summit is dedicated to pitching in front of an audience of more than 1000 attendees, with the possibility of winning up to USD 1 million in equity investment and other prizes.
The 9 startups pitched in front of a prestigious jury, including Nhena Nyagura from Dandemutande, Ethel Bangwayo from UNDP, Sharon Wekwete from Omidyar Network and Lilian Mbayiwa from Old Mutual.
Wellnescript, with its wellness and digital health startup in Africa which empowers individuals, families, companies and communities to experience more happiness and enjoy the gift of life, came second. YouFarm, a Zimbabwean company that provides collateral free funding for farmers via the YouFarm Crowd Farming Platform, allowing people to become part of the agriculture value chain by letting them invest in crops and livestock and then share the profits with the Farmer when the produce goes to market. grabbed the last spot in the top 3.
There was also a prize for the best Civic Tech startup and a Best Learner prize. The first was taken by Vote Africa , a mobile application aiming to educate, motivate and empower the electorate to fully own the electoral process and hold governments accountable and the second by Justice Today , a mobile application that protects citizens from crime and uses artificial intelligence to educate citizens on the steps to take when victimized.
The other startups invited to pitch were:
- ParcelTip – A peer to peer delivery startup exploring the sharing economy movement in the logistics and travel industry.
- Leaph – An academic management system that leverages Data Science and Machine Learning to improve academic performance.
- Futuremed– A first of its kind primary health center that harnesses the power of technology to bring the best quality health care to the underserved.
- Renewable Loop Private Limited– A cleantech company that merges people-centred design with affordable energy solutions by developing holistic energy solutions to meet the daily energy needs of millions of people in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Continuing on its world tour of startup scenes in emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes, Seedstars World’s next stop is Accra at University Of Professional Studies Accra, Business Incubator Center, to select the best startup in Ghana. Seedstars World is looking for smart startups that solve regional issues and/or develop profitable products for the global market.
Seedstars Harare took place last Friday, 29th June, at Impact Hub Harare.