Meet the eight startups to pitch at Seedstars Durban

In line with its mission to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, Seedstars World is travelling to more than 65 countries globally and 20 in Africa this year to identify the best seed-stage entrepreneurs and provide them with an opportunity to win up to $1m and network with investors and mentors from around the world. Its previous participants have raised over $61m collectively, providing employment to more than 360 employees worldwide.

The event will take place at Mancosa with the startups to pitch to a panel of judges. The top three startups will be invited to Johannesburg, where they will compete with the best startups of Cape Town and Soweto (Gauteng), of which one will be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars World South Africa 2016. The South African competition is carried out with the support of Standard Bank, who will further support the startups on their path to success.

The startups selected to pitch in Durban are:

• You, Baby and I: An online platform that allows moms to experience brands by matching them to location and interests.
• Vitls: The startup building a revolutionary wearable medical device for homes and hospitals, allowing vitals to be monitored continuously and undisturbed from anywhere.
• Guardian Angel Safety Solution: A GPS tracking product that offers an affordable personal safety solution for children, adults, the elderly and even pets.
• Pocketpa: An on-demand app for concierge services for busy individuals and households, offering personal assistance in anyone’s pocket.
• RhinoRecon Group: An app that helps women select a hairstyle and book on-demand hairstylist.
• UXFoundry Pty Ltd.: A platform for creating custom and enhanced instant messaging apps for businesses.
• Wango: A dating app that focuses on engaging conversations.
• Digital Sauce: The startup that is simplifying the process of receiving quotes for home renovations.

“After seeing more and more activity coming up from Durban, we decided to put it on the map of our 2016 tour, and so far we are very impressed with the startups and the ecosystem in general,” says Marcello Schermer, regional manager for Africa at Seedstars World.

Entrepreneur Traction will act as the local ambassador across the continent and will represent the initiative throughout the year. Other partners include local and international organisations, such as Omidyar Network, Payfast, Startup Grind, Durban Hub and Smartspace. In addition Seedstars World has partnered with TRECC to bring the 'Transforming Education Prize', which will award the best startup in the education space from around the world with a prize of over $50,000.

The event will take place on Wednesday, 8 June from 4-9pm, tickets are free and attendees can register here.