Sponsored by Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Nikkei and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) co-hosted a startup pitch web competition “Startups in Africa” in Tokyo, inviting 10 young entrepreneurs from African countries. More than 2,000 audience members joined the discussion by asking questions of entrepreneurs via online service. At the end, they took a ballot and awarded the most valuable startup prize in 2020 to Mobile Scan Solutions in Uganda.
Mobile tech offers solutions to social challenges
The web competition was held with the aim of supporting young entrepreneurs who are tackling social challenges in Africa and promoting business alliances and investments in the African tech startup market by Japanese companies. Digital services and tech businesses have been dramatically expanding in Africa in the last 5 years as mobile phones and low-cost smartphones became very common in the Continent. The amount of investments in African startups reached $2 billion in 2019. This is the reason JICA decided to support valuable startups in Africa via project NINJA business competition in which more than 2,700 companies from African countries applied to compete.
TranSoniCa awarded second prize
TranSoniCa Company in Ghana was awarded as the second prize at the web pitch competition hosted by JICA and Nikkei. Mr. Daniel Elliot Kwantwi, Founder and CEO paid close attention to the Japanese pre-paid IC card system well-known as SUICA or PASMO in the country during his study at the University of Tokyo. He developed a similar IC card system and introduced it to the campus and surrounding area of the Ghana University. The system makes payment procedures more effective and easier and prevents money from being stolen and lost in Ghana.
Through the web pitch competition hosted by JICA and Nikkei, some of the Japanese companies became aware of the potential of African tech businesses.