We’re proud to announce the 10 ventures for the 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase Series A – virtual edition!
To ensure that innovative high-growth ventures that have the potential to yield high social and environmental impact secure the capital they require, it is imperative we continue efforts to establish a strong Series A market. Improved access to liquidity and downstream funding supports the development of a strong African startup ecosystem, and further propels a still nascent but fast-growing early-stage investing movement gaining traction across the continent.
The 10 companies in the 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A portfolio represent the best Series A investment opportunities on the continent. They have been vetted by VC investors through a rigorous referral and selection process. They demonstrate strong revenues and competitive edge, are well-positioned for regional and international expansion and are working on important innovations in the healthcare, finance, transport, commerce and advertising sectors.
The founders will showcase their businesses online in front of investors during the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit on 3-4 November 2020, with the aim of raising $500K-$10M in Series A capital. All companies provide technology-intensive or innovation-based products or services that are currently available in one or more African markets.
The 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A portfolio:
AFRIKREA is building the global infrastructure for African culture.
Afrikrea.com is the world leading e-commerce platform dedicated to African inspired products (fashion, art, beauty, food and handicraft) with over 6M$ in sales in 150+ countries.
And the community of 200k+ users harness the power of unity to address their common issues of shipping, selling and exposing wherever they may be in the world.
Aspire provides Nigerians round the clock power at a fraction of their current costs and with unparalleled service. With over 1000 end users to date and over 100 million more waiting, Aspire is positioned to catalyze economic development by providing everyday Nigerians a better energy experience. Join us.
Aura is a technology platform which enables anyone to access the closest vetted private security & medical response unit to their location, anywhere, anytime, using a connected device.
Chefaa is an AI-powered, GPS-enabled app to help patients order, schedule & refill their prescriptions as well as all their pharmacy needs whether insured or out-of-pocket, improving compliance and eventually outcome through a comprehensive and patient-centric approach. Chefaa leverage on data and serve all industry stakeholders through analytics & insights of Chefaa BI hub. Moreover, Chefaa can predict partner pharmacies stock needs & supply it at better financing terms.
Fulfillment Bridge offers a one-stop shop for online sellers who are looking for decentralized fulfillment. With a global network of 24 Warehouses, online sellers are globally enabled since day 1 while dealing with one single counterpart. We handle the eCommerce logistics from the supplier till the end consumer. We provide warehousing, Pick and Pack, wide range of discounted last-mile shipping options, returns, parcel insurance, Multisales channel integration, order & Inventory management. All these services are provided through one single cloud-based proprietary platform.
GLU Global (Pty) Ltd is disrupting the USD 240 billion Systems Integration industry by offering a universal and ruggedized plug-and-play system integration solution for Developing (current focus) and Developed Markets. Founded by star leaders in mobile payments pioneer, Fundamo (acquired by VISA for USD110 million), GLU has multiple commercial deployments with strong reference customers and a full pipeline of sales targets across Sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Gozem is a transport technology platform for Francophone West and Central Africa. Our service allows thousands of passengers to travel safely and reliably by linking them to certified drivers, be it moto-taxis, tricycles or taxis.
QuickCheck is a one-stop-platform with the mission of providing financial services to underserved consumers and micro-entrepreneurs in Africa. Using Machine Learning, we built an intelligent product that expands on digital lending’s core expertise developed in the past three years. QuickCheck enables our customers to have easy access to payments, investments, savings, debit/credit cards, cash back rewards, and a marketplace to buy high-value items, directly from their smartphone app.
SeamlessHR is a cloud-based HR and payroll SaaS platform that helps African businesses automate all their human resources and payroll activities, from “hire to retire”. SeamlessHR is the first fully integrated end-to-end, cloud-based HR and Payroll SaaS platform in the continent.
Wapi Pay is the first, leading and secure Africa-Asia financial solution (Payments / Remittance) that is not only faster than ‘Telegraphic Transfers’ but significantly more affordable for customers. Wapi Pay is a platform that allows demand for Africa’s agricultural and natural products & services to fund payments for Asia manufacturing products through mobile and banking infrastructure.
The program
Over the next weeks, the selected startups will participate in a virtual residency program, including pitch training and interacting & learning from mentors, peers, and partners. They will also be linked to top VC investors. The program entails:
- 3-minute pitches at the virtual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit 2020 #AESIS2020
- The pitches will become available to the investor community on investors.vc4a.com.
- Interested investors can schedule 1-on-1 follow-ups
- AWS Activate offers the selected cohort AWS credits ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, tools, resources, and more to quickly get started on AWS.
- The startups join the VC4A alumni network and gain exclusive access to fundraising opportunities.
Investor collaboration
VC4A is excited to see the Venture Showcase becoming a great example of true industry collaboration. The vetting process is fully undertaken by our partnering external investors, where these organizations refer their portfolio companies ready for the next round. VC4A’s partner VCs then assess the opportunities and ultimately decide who will appear on the virtual #AESIS2020 stage.
Investor participation has been outstanding this year, with 70+ major VCs and multiple angel groups involved in the process. We believe initiatives like this help to build trust and foster collaboration between industry stakeholders, and importantly, create both co-investment opportunities and exit opportunities for our partners.
2020 selection committee
If you are interested in attending the 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A as an investor or corporate partner, please register via www.AfricaInvestorSummit.com or get in touch with us by email at: team[at]africainvestorsummit.com.
Africa Early Stage Investor Summit #AESIS2020
While this year’s Summit will not have the beautiful backdrop of Cape Town (unless you’re lucky enough to be joining us from there), we do plan to deliver just as high-quality and engaging sessions as in years’ past – through what we’re calling Investor Dialogues. We’re also creating an exclusive investor community where you, as an investor, will be able to sign up for relevant investor events, discover deal flow, and network with fellow investors, as well as participate in the VC4A Venture Showcases. All of the videos and resources are going to be shared in this community for investors, by investors.
Special Thanks
We are sincerely grateful for the 1,000+ entrepreneurs that took the time to apply for the 2020 Showcase. There are so many quality companies and management teams deserving of attention, making it a challenging decision-making process for us and our investor committee. The Showcase objective is to promote an increasing number of high-quality Series A investment opportunities on the continent. This is why we will also share our top-100 list – based on the investor committee ratings – with our wider investor network.
We are thankful to the investors and partners that support us along this journey. We believe that, together, we help raise global awareness and attention to the best the continent has to offer.
Look forward to seeing you ONLINE in November!