For the Ugandan leg of the Seedstars World startups competition, Seedstars Kampala, a FinTech startup Akiba has been declared the winner. Akiba is an online saving and investment platform.
The startup is aiming at transforming financial services in the Ugandan market by giving people easy access to financial tools online. Tools that will help them manage their finances in a transparent, practical and professional manner.
??: …and the winner of #SSWKampala is #Akiba. #Fintech #FinancialInclusion pic.twitter.com/mh19zT8HjZ
— iAfrikan News (@iAfrikanNEWS) September 30, 2016
The platform also has a mobile app (for both Android and iOS) that allows people quick access to the services while on the move. Akiba is also leveraging on social circles to grant users better access to credit facilities.
Akiba was one of the ten startups that pitched their product at the Outbox Hub on Sep 30th before a jury that included Angela Kerubo of Open Capital Advisors and Selam Kebede of Seedstars World.
Having being crowned the winner of the Seedstars Kampala, Akiba automatically becomes the torchbearer for Uganda and the next stage of the competition. The global finalist stage of the competition will pit best of the best from the regional finalist against each other; it will take place in Switzerland.
At Switzerland, Akiba like the other regional winners will compete head-to-head against each other for the position of the global winner for a reward prize of $1.5 million in equity investment. The Seedstars Kampala was organized by VC4A, Intel, iAfrikan, Lionesses of Africa and Brussels Airline.
The next stop for Seedstars World will be Kenya where the one startups will be identified from the Seedstars Nairobi to join the others on the global stage of the competition. The pitch day for startups in Kenya will take place on October 7th, 2016.
So far, Seedstars has been to nine African countries and identified nine startups from the continent that will proceed to the global stage of the competition.