The final 10 startups to pitch at the 2019 Seedstars Kenya competition have been announced.
They are: digital financial marketplace Pezesha, blockchain-based farm management solution Shamba Records, diagnostics solution Ilara Health, point of sale financing company Julla, agri-tech startup Lentera, emergency response service Nurse-In-Hand, blockchain-based payments solution Pesabase, cargo-hailing application Smatbeba LTD, employee payments solution WorkPay and micro-retail management platform Tanda.
The competition will take place on June 28th, after which the winner will represent Kenya at the annual Seedstars Africa Summit, whose winner will represent the continent at the global seedstars summit in Switzerland, and stand a chance to take home a USD 500,000 investment, and a 3 months access to an investment readiness program.
The 2018 Seedstars Kenya winner was affordable insurance startup, Bluewave Technologies.
There are a few major changes to the 2019 edition of the pitch competition. For one, it will be a closed-door event held at Nailab, this means no external audience will be present as had been previously. Second, Seedstars Africa judges panel will comprise all women.
The judges will be: Anne-Marie Chidzero, the Chief Investment Officer for FSD, Eva Warigia – Executive Director, EAVCA, Tsakane Ngoepe -Portfolio Manager AHL Venture Partners, Wanjiru Chabeda – Investment Consultant, Zephyr Acorn, Winnie Ibuyako – Associate Director, LGT Impact and Claudia Makadristo – Regional Manager for Africa, Seedstars.
Related article: Seedstars world competition applications are now open for Kenyan leg
Regarding this decision, Claudia Makadristo, Seedstars Regional Manager for Africa said, “It is a Seedstars first to have an all women judging panel. This is part of our efforts to increase women participation on all levels (mentors, experts, jury, startups). We are extremely excited to work with this jury panel on selecting the most promising startup in Nairobi and we believe that the closed door event format will allow us to ask some more sensitive and in-depth questions to the entrepreneurs.”
The US$100 million Seedstars Africa investment fund will be active later this year. All eligible applicants stand a chance of receiving early-stage investment.
