Nine African startups have been chosen to participate in the Norrsken Impact Accelerator’s second edition, which aims to uncover and scale the globe’s most potential impact startups.
Norrsken was founded in 2016 by Niklas Adalbert, one of the founders of Swedish fintech unicorn Klarna, with the goal of assisting entrepreneurs in addressing the world’s most pressing issues.
Norrsken House, a co-working space in Stockholm for over 350 impact entrepreneurs, the Norrsken Founders Fund, and Norrsken VC make up the ecosystem.
The foundation announced in 2019 that it had opened offices in Kigali, Rwanda, which it claimed it wanted to utilize as a platform for investment across the East and Central African region, and it welcomed 11 African businesses into the first Norrsken Impact Accelerator last year.
It has currently chosen 20 businesses from 15 countries to participate in the 2022 edition, with solutions spanning from mental health to poverty reduction, sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion, and green energy.
Nine of the businesses are situated in Africa, with the others coming from Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom (UK).
Here are the African 9 startups
Clafiya (Nigeria)
Clafiya is a digital primary healthcare service that believes that all Africans should have access to affordable and high-quality primary healthcare. The company is offering high-quality primary health care to those who need it the most.
SunFi (Nigeria)
SunFi develops energy financial technology that optimizes and matches the best clean energy solution to the demands of its customers. From payment plans to installation assistance and after-sales service. The company addressed the issues that make it difficult for distributed energy suppliers to switch millions of customers to sustainable energy.
Appload (Mozambique)
Appload’s online marketplace connects logistics providers with customers looking to send freight, resulting in a more effective and professional supply chain network. Shippers and carriers may plan, book, and track shipments all throughout Mozambique from a single web portal.
Emata (Uganda)
Emata provides farmers with digital, low-interest loans. The firm works with cooperatives and aggregators to provide them with free access to its Emata MIS (management information system) to help them plan their daily operations. Emata also makes use of big data to develop data-driven alternative credit ratings and to provide digital loans.
Umoja (Tanzania)
Umoja is a blockchain-based payments platform that aims to provide access to digital financial services to people in the Global South. Aid and fintech agencies can use the startup to create inclusive banking systems for underserved populations. Umoja delivers last-mile payment infrastructure and software to help people throughout the world become more financially included.
Fixa (Rwanda)
Fixa combines strong automation technologies, real-time performance data, and a dependable worker network to increase the productivity of your blue-collar labor.
In addition, the startup manages all of your blue-collar employees on a single platform. The simplest way to track, manage, and improve the performance of your employees.
Motito (Ghana)
Motito lets you shop at your favorite stores and pay over time, so you can acquire what you need right away. Financial independence is second nature at Motito.
This is why its mobile shopping software offers users convenience and a payment plan that is customized for them, making them happy. Because the startup values transparency and honesty, all of its fees are spelled out in detail.
HealthDart (South Africa)
HealthDart is an easy, digital approach to keeping track of your health requirements. Its app is supported by a network of high-quality, independently vetted health partners.
Users can consult with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, get medicines, and obtain health advice at a low cost through the startup.
Power Financial Wellness (Kenya)
Power Financial Wellness is a comprehensive platform that promotes personal financial wellness, greater business performance, and new prospects for banks and lenders. With tools to Pay, Save, Borrow, and Protect, the startup is allowing the workforce to take charge of their financial well-being.
All of the startups involved were chosen through an open application process and were assessed against the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with the extent and depth of their possible effect being ranked. Only organizations that can show that impact is a critical component of their business model have been accepted into the program.
In addition to acceptance into the program, which includes an 8-week growth sprint at Norrsken House in Stockholm and mentorship from a roster of over 110 entrepreneurs, investors, and unicorn founders, all startups will receive an upfront pre-seed or seed investment of US$125,000 from the Norrsken Foundation.
Since being selected for the 2021 program, the 20 participating companies have secured more than US$24 million in seed or pre-seed funding from investors such as Brilliant Minds co-founder Ash Pournori, Kry co-founder Fredrik Jung-Abbou, Pär Norberg of Nordic Capital, Capital T, Globivest, and Norrsken Foundation, who were chosen from over 2,300 applications worldwide.
Norrsken also announced the formation of Norrsken22, a new US$200 million tech expansion fund that will invest in extraordinary entrepreneurs who are establishing Africa’s next tech behemoths.
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