LETSHEGO GROUP AWARDS BIH INNOVATIVE START-UPS
Botswana Innovation Hub and Letshego Holdings Limited (Letshego Group) hosted a virtual pitch session that showcased the great works from 8 budding BIH start-up innovators with their market ready solutions. The start-ups presented their business ideas to a panel of judges, comprising of select executives from Letshego’s regional markets. The start-up companies that were awarded the top three positions were as follows:
Position 1: Kwiky represented by Titose Chembezi - Awarded P30, 000 Prize Money
Kwiky is a Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C) solution that facilitates access to financial services for the underbanked by accessing mobile phone and mobile wallet transaction data from various data points including parastatals, research agencies and onboarding ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) documentation, integrating this concept into a comprehensive credit risk framework to support financial services.
Position 2: Digital Diamond represented by Mthabisi Bokete - Awarded P15, 000 Prize Money
Digital Diamond is a free online and offline instant identification application that stores valid user data to enable the users to rapidly complete log book, registers and complete KYC applications at the tap of a button, regardless of the user’s location. This solution supports the financial services sector, to facilitate KYC and credit applications across geographical borders.
Position 3: PCG Software represented by Letsibogo Ramadi - Awarded P10, 000 Prize Money
PCG Software is a digital solutions firm specialising in tailor-made mobile development and web-based projects. PCG Software has developed ‘Mogwebi CyberPlaza’ - a virtual networking and trade platform that connects businesses to an unlimited online audience to support business continuity, especially as we manage through the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the pitch day, Alan Boshwaen, Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Innovation Hub said, “We all acknowledge that innovation is a critical catalyst in driving Botswana’s Transformation Agenda, hence, supporting innovations requires collaboration between diverse stakeholders.
We are glad to have partnered with Letshego Botswana as a player in building national innovation ecosystem. Our innovators stand to benefit from the opportunities availed by this partnership including mentorship, capacity building and commercialization. The prize incentive is a cherry on top”
Andrew Okai, Letshego Group’s Chief Executive Officer commented, “In our journey to create a world-class retail financial services organisation, Letshego remains committed to developing a relentless innovation culture. We aim to achieve this by leveraging digital innovation, strategic partnerships and eco-system thinking to enhance customer experience and increase access to simple and appropriate financial solutions for emerging market consumers across the Group’s 11-country footprint.
Our partnership with Botswana Innovation Hub is a valuable way Letshego can support local technology innovation by providing financial support, business expertise and potential introductions within our existing network. Our ambition is to use our strengths and expertise to enable entrepreneurs to expand their growth and income potential. Letshego strongly believes that through effective partnerships, we can grow our collective potential, exponentially!”
The start-ups that pitched their solutions were selected from a pool of start-ups within the BIH Incubation and Acceleration programme where they benefit from a number of interventions such as; technical advice, coaching, mentorship, access to markets, access to partner programmes, office space, subsidised corporate tax, special dispensation of the import of skilled personnel and many other tailored interventions to help them grow.