African startups at TechCrunch's 2023 Startup Battlefield

Among the 200 startups selected to participate in TechCrunch 2023 Startup Battlefield, 16 African startups made the cut. The startups will get the opportunity to exhibit their products to investors, get funding and mentorship opportunities.

The startups cut across Cleantech, SaaS, Fintech, Fintech, HealthTech, AI/Machine Learning, Security and Privacy and Cleantech. The startups were from Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.

What is TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is an invitation-only cohort of game-changing early-stage startups given the opportunity to pitch at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

All 200 companies will pitch on the Pitch Showcase Stage at TC Disrupt, go through training, have access to masterclasses, private receptions, communities and investor meet and greets.

The Startup Battlefield 200 contestants receive free tickets to attend Disrupt as well as a free demo booth in the Expo Hall at the conference. Following all Startup Battlefield Finalist sessions, judges and TechCrunch editors select a group of finalists, typically between 4 and 6 companies.

Finalists will pitch for a second time to a new group of judges. The top 20 are selected to the final round to pitch on the Disrupt Stage. Companies compete for $100K equity-free prize and a chance to win the Disrupt Cup.

According to TechCrunch, last year, the Startup Battlefield (SB) was expanded to match the pace of technological innovation across geographies and industries with a goal to select the game-changing startups most likely to have a positive impact on the world — and invite them to exhibit at Disrupt 2023. This year’s event is scheduled for September 19 to 21.

This year, it opened applications for the SB 200 last April and received literally thousands of applications from around the globe and according to it, each application was reviewed numerous times by the TechCrunch editorial team.

“The batch this year gave us an excellent snapshot of where the early-stage industry is headed,” it said in a statement. “While AI took an obvious lead in applications, selected companies stand to disrupt biotech, healthcare, climate tech and even some “crappy” startups. The volatility of global financial markets drove innovation in the fintech space,” it added.

Meet the startups exhibiting at TechCrunch 2023 Startup Battlefield 200

1. Akowe

Akowe is a comprehensive solution for the digital issuance and verification of academic records using blockchain technology. It was founded in Nigeria by Ayodeji Agboola in 2020.

2. Alusoft Technologies Ltd

Alusoft’s EduPorch is an educational information processing and management tool that aids day-to-day activities of a school. The platform allows seamless interactions among educational stakeholders with an easy user interface and functionalities. Alusoft Technologies Limited was founded by Onaopemipo Adewumi.

3. Appcyclers

AppCyclers is a Ghanaian web-based platform that facilitates collections and safe disposal of e-waste from individuals homes and offices. The platform was founded by Agudor Agabas in 2021.

4. Bizzyn

Bizzyn is a cloud accounting & financial management platform that aims to solve the problem of managing finances for small businesses in Africa by providing a simple and affordable solution. The Tanzanian startup was founded by Emmanuel Kimaro.

5. Bus54

Bus54 provides the digital infrastructure and ecosystem for passenger transportation in Africa, allowing passengers to search, compare, book, and manage their journeys online. The Nigerian platform, founded by Ezra Anajonu and Joseph Lumbahe enables transport operators to manage their end-to-end operations from a secure portal with no need for additional investment in IT software or hardware, and an additional channel to sell their tickets.

6. Duhqa

Duhqa offers retailers a one-stop-shop for their procurement/shopping, financing and logistics needs. The Kenyan startup was launched to address the logistics pain points of manufacturers and to bridge the gap of slow inventory movement, brand performance traceability and increase sales to formal and informal retailers. Duhqa was founded by Victor Maina in 2021.

7. Famasi

Famasi builds software programs & APIs to connect businesses/individuals to pharmacies in emerging markets. With a smart inventory & point of sale software built into one mobile device, pharmacies can better manage their operations while patients/providers can order & get doorstep delivery of medications. The startup was founded by Adeola Ayoola in 2022.

8. FinanceGPT

FinanceGPT uses machine learning to generate charts and insights based on data, providing a comprehensive view of a company’s financial health and forecasts to empower financial decision-making. The platform was founded by Phiwa Nkambule.

9. FlexPay

FlexPay is a saving experience-led neo bank for the unbanked and underbanked population across Africa. The Kenya startup empowers users to purchase essential goods and services by offering them a sustainable and credit-free way to buy. The startup was founded by Richard Machomba in 2013.

10. Flowmono

Flowmono is a SaaS platform for APIs and tools helping organisations and people e-sign, store, and share documents as well as digitize their processes. The Nigerian startup was founded by Akintayo Okekunle and Babatola Awe in 2022.

11. Foris Labs

Foris Labs gives students the superpowers to transform any space into a science laboratory via our gamified 3D virtual science laboratory that provides a realistic simulation of hands-on science experiments. The startup was founded by John Onuigbo.

12. Genesis360

Genesis360 help businesses provide affordable payment options to their customers, offering consumer credit for food, and repayment in instalments. The startup was founded by Babatunde Famuyide, Zephaniah Morakinyo, Akinmade Mayowa and Odubiyi Adeolu.

13. KSOC

KSOC is an event-driven SaaS platform that remediates Kubernetes security risks and enforces least-privileged access control. The Ugandan startup was founded in 2021 by Story Tweedie-Yates.

14. Kyuka Ventures

Kyuka ventures is a tech enabled start up that uses a chemical free and energy conserving technology to transform plastic waste into fuel and gas. The Uganda startup was founded by Sonko Jamal.

15. Lima

Lima is an agritech startup that works on transforming food systems in Africa by offering quality organic manure and affordable livestock feeds. The Tanzanian startup was founded by Jasper Simpkin in 2021.

16. Omnisient

Omnisient is the privacy-preserving Data Collaboration platform that provides cutting-edge cryptography, advanced analytics, and AI to enable Financial Services Institutions (FSIs) to leverage new consumer data sources in a secure and regulatory compliant manner. The South African startup was founded by Jon Jacobson and Anton Grutzmacher in 2019.