Two Nigerian start-ups were among the four winners at the inaugural NBA Africa Startup Accelerator Demo Day on September 25, 2024. The event, launched by NBA Africa in April 2024, aims to bolster the continent’s technology ecosystem and support the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
The winners include Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya), and UBR VR (Egypt). NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum announced the winning businesses from a pool of ten finalists, four of which were Nigerian. The selected start-ups will receive financial support, mentorship, and opportunities to participate in workshops and development programs facilitated by NBA Africa and its partners.
Over 700 early-stage African start-ups applied to participate, pitching their innovations to a panel of international industry leaders during the Demo Day held at the NBA headquarters in New York City. Judges included notable figures such as Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder of Accelerate Africa; Franciscus Diaba, NBA Assistant General Counsel; Crystal Rugege, Managing Director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda; Dan Rosensweig, Executive Chairman of Chegg Inc.; and Joanne Yoo, Partner at Development Partners International.
Festival Coins, which offers a customizable no-code event registration and ticketing platform called Tix Africa for events in Nigeria and Ghana, won first place and a $50,000 prize. Salubata, another Nigerian start-up that creates modular shoes made from repurposed plastic waste to reduce the global carbon footprint, secured second place with a $40,000 prize.
Kenya’s HustleSasa, providing live event services including payment processing and attendee management, won third place and $30,000, while Egypt’s UBR VR, known for delivering immersive virtual reality experiences, took home the fourth-place prize of $20,000.
The other finalists, including Nigeria’s Buzza and Naemo Global, Rwanda’s Backrest, Côte d’Ivoire’s Gara, Ghana’s Power to Girls Foundation, and South Africa’s Vambo Technologies, each received a $10,000 prize.
The Demo Day was supported by three official partners: Paystack Payment Ltd., Kuramo Capital Management, and the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM).
NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi congratulated all participants, especially the ten finalists and four winners, noting their creativity and determination to shape the future of sports in Africa. NBA Africa Vice President and Country Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, emphasized the continent’s need for an accelerator focused on addressing local challenges through innovative tech solutions.
The NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator is open to early-stage start-ups in Africa working on solutions in areas such as event management, youth development, AI, and digital marketing. NBA Africa, an affiliate of the National Basketball Association, is dedicated to inspiring and connecting people through basketball and has opened offices across several African countries to further its mission.
