TRIPLE-DOUBLE: NBA Africa Startup Accelerator lists 4 Nigerian startups, 6 others for Demo Day

NBA Africa has unveiled the list of ten startup companies from seven African countries selected for the Demo Day at the NBA headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, Sept. 25 as part of “Triple-Double: NBA Africa Startup Accelerator,” which the league launched in April 2024.

At the event, designed to support Africa’s technology ecosystem and the next generation of African entrepreneurs, the ten start-ups will pitch their products to a panel of international industry leaders, after which four winning companies selected will be awarded financial support and mentorship, including an opportunity to participate in workshops and development programmes facilitated by NBA Africa or its partners.

The selected companies from Nigeria include Buzza (Nigeria) which helps sports organisations improve their operations through digital solutions including digital management transition and Festival Coins (Nigeria), an event technology company that offers a customised, no-code event registration and ticketing platform for events.

The other two are Naemo Global (Nigeria) which aims to revolutionise sports scouting on the African continent through its proprietary data analytics and AI-utilising scouting software, Afriskaut and Salubata (Nigeria) which creates modular shoes repurposed from plastic waste and noted for innovation while reducing the global carbon footprint.

The six other companies from across the continent include one each from Rwanda (Backrest) which provides a wearable technology solution called WristWrist to facilitate cashless payments at event venues, Côte d’Ivoire (Gara), a pan-African video gaming and comics platform that facilitates the distribution of digital entertainment experiences and Kenya (HustleSasa), which provides live event services support payment processing, attendee check-in, merchandise sales, customer data management and more.

Others are from Ghana (Power to Girls Foundation), which provides a social connection and mentorship platform called My Power App dedicated to empowering girls and women aged between 13 and 20, Egypt (UBR VR), which delivers state-of-the-art, fully immersive, in-person virtual reality (VR) experiences across Egypt and South Africa (Vambo Technologies) known for a digital language technology platform leveraging AI to provide real-time translation, content creation, and language learning technology.

Speaking of the initiative, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, said: “We have been inspired by the level of talent and creativity from all of the applicants, and we congratulate the 10 deserving finalists who will showcase their innovative solutions at Demo Day later this month.” He added that “NBA Africa is committed to supporting the continued growth of startups on the continent, including the four prize-winners whose innovative solutions will further elevate the sport and creative industries in Africa for years to come.”

Operated by ALX Ventures, “Triple-Double: NBA Africa Startup Accelerator” was open to early-stage startups in Africa that develop solutions in event management and ticketing, youth development, AI, and digital marketing. The initiative will support Africa’s tech ecosystem and the next generation of African tech entrepreneurs by providing them with access to mentorship and capital that will help drive growth in the sports and creative industries.

The four prize-winning startups will be announced at Demo Day.

NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.

NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more.

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that concluded its fourth season in June 2024. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.