Meet the Tôshikas, the UNDP’s first venture capital investment promotion programme has unveiled the Top 6 finalists’ startups.
Supported by catalytic funding from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan (METI). This project seeks to delve deeply into the African startup ecosystems, identifying and addressing fundamental elements hindering their growth and investment.
“We are extremely honored to be able to provide, through our benefactor METI, a unique opportunity for African startups to travel and meet Japanese investors and, on the other hand, Japanese investors to discover exciting startup venture opportunities from Africa sourced from a well-informed and deliberate ecosystem development approach that takes into account both the local potential growth and risk awareness through our network of field partners”, says Tomas Sales, Private Sector Special Advisor at the UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub which oversees the UNDP Meet the Tôshikas project. “By combining a mature market such as South Africa with other nascent markets such as Angola and Zambia, we offer a fuller picture of the breadth and depth of early-stage opportunities to investors contemplating entry points for capital deployment in Africa”
Through “Meet the Tôshikas,” UNDP aims to bring about transformation of how investors find, capacitate and invest in African startups. This year 2024, the project is implemented in Angola, South Africa, and Zambia.
The UNDP “Meet the Tôshikas” programme started with an original selection process with the applications of 256 startups. It included desk research, direct interviews, field visits, ecosystem events, and a 3-week Bootcamp, leading to the selection of the Top 30 startups in total (10 startups per country). The three Japanese venture capital investors participated in the selection process, including site visits and direct interactions to improve and increase business matching opportunities.
Out of 30 startups that joined the Bootcamps, 6 finalists in total (2 startups per country) earned the opportunity to undergo a highly tailored practical 3-month Investment Readiness Support Program (IRSP). Additionally, the Top 6 startups will also receive a $20,000 catalytic grant and take part in a 1-week activity-packed investors roadshow in Tokyo, punctuated by an exclusive pitching opportunity in front of the Tôshikas.
6 finalist startups from Angola, South Africa, and Zambia made it through the selection process, respectively:
Angola
Anda (mobility): A startup that formalizes the 2-wheeler moto-taxi market in Angola, providing financing, training, and insurance to drivers, better and safer service for its customers.
Mamboo , is an e-commerce/delivery app that Provides quick and seamless food/FMCG deliveries via its design award-winning platform.
South Africa
Zoie Health,a female-focused platform empowering communities and small businesses to get pro-active about their health.
Jobox,an HR Tech platform that helps university graduates get their first gigs, and universities learn more about their graduates.
Zambia
Bosso, an e-commerce platform that makes building houses simpler and cheaper.
AfriOnline Group, is an integrated platform that allows customers to order from restaurants, supermarkets, and Wholesale.
