South African mobile application startup Afroes won the third place in the worldwide Dragon’s Den Pitching competition with its message delivery service.
The Pretoria-based company was selected from 50 companies at the Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship in East London last week.
HumanIPO reported earlier this year on the Afroes release of Haki at the Mobile Web East Africa (MWEA) conference.
Founded by Anne Shongwe, Afroes’ technology supplies branded messages services through mobile applications for social development agencies and corporate enterprises.
The solution, as developed at the mLab in the Pretoria-based Innovation hub, serves as an education and brand-based message tool.
Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science and Technology, said: “African innovators like Afroes are increasingly receiving global recognition in important technology areas”, Engineering News reported.
He added: “Such success stories clearly illustrate the impact innovation can have.”
Derrick Kotze, chief executive officer at mLab Southern Africa believes the achievement will allow Afroes to “expand its market and partnership on an international level.”
Other South African companies who reached the top 20 include Kuza Mobile, Khaya Power and Mobiflock.
The competition was organised by World Bank’s infoDev, the Department of Science and Technology and the Eastern Cape provincial government.
Participants were judged according to commercial potential, long term success and societal impact by a board of angel investors, top policy makers and international donors.
