PORTAZ’s ICT Innovation Drive backs Six Zimbabwean Startups
ICT Innovation Drive was launched last week in Zimbabwe by POTRAZ (Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe) and six startups have received a undisclosed amount of to scale up operations.
The six startups have been chosen from over 188 applications received. Their services will be made available on platforms run by mobile operators Telecel, NetOne and Econet, who have also contributed about 1% of their revenues towards funding these innovative businesses.
The startups being financed are:
Redpen is a school management software that enables parents to know their child’s attendance, discipline and progress in learning through data fed into the system and the use of algorithms. Redpen seeks to help schools to organize data and make it easily accessible to the concerned public.
Afrimom is a e-health platform providing content that answers issues relating to mothers, ranging from; Getting pregnant, Symptoms, Giving birth, Parenting, Adoption, Baby, and every others associated with parenthood.
Oyos is a startup that provides an online music store, akin to iTunes that lets users buy local music from anywhere in the world.
Purple Signs is a deaf communication platform that offers ‘learn at your own pace courses‘, as well as time bound programs by institutions such as Sunrise Sign Language Academy(SSLA). It also has a mobile video dictionary that contain more than 1500 English to Sign Language words.
NatiV Project is a e-leaning platform, designed to teach native language to children with disabilities in Zimbawe, in an enjoyable and engaging fashion.
Shift Organic Technologies is a agritech startup that grows vegetables,herbs using a combination of chemicals and technology to increase efficiency. Apart from farming, Shift Technologies also engages in animal husbandry and the employ the use of chemicals and technology in increasing efficiency.
