Top 35 Mobile Apps Startup Investors in South Africa in October 2023

Portfolio highlights

• Carscan — cARscan is an Augmented Reality app with an embedded visual recognition AI to track the visual condition of every motor vehicle during its life-stage.

Portfolio highlights

• GoMetro — GoMetro designs deploy and operate flexible mobility platforms. Their proprietary technology stack empowers city leaders, transport managers, corporates, retail centres, property developers, airports and downtown to introduce bold new mobility strategies. Their connected transport digital platform equips transport planners to respond to thechallenges of increased congestion, aged infrastructure, disruptive mobility players, self-driving vehicles and a lack of quality public transport services.
• Talk360 — Talk360 is an easy-to-use calling app that helps people make affordable international calls to any mobile and landline number. They believe that reliable communication and digital services must be affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of someone's background. Especially people in emerging countries in Africa, who often need theseservices the most, do not always have the necessary banking possibilities. To bridge this distance, Talk360 will launch the world's first single checkout platform for Africa. This platform will combine all locally available payment methods and currencies across Africa, together with over 1.25 million cash points of sales, and will eventually be available to other companies as well. This means that 500 million Africans will be able to purchase digital services they never had access to before.
• Sendmarc — Stop cyber criminals from sending emails using your domain and protect your customers, suppliers and employees from cyber attacks with DMARC Security.

Portfolio highlights

• Pison — Pison is a human performance company optimizing cognitive and physiological capability through gesture control. It's a full-stack solution combine hardware, software, machine learning, and UX for AR industries and drones. Investors and partners include Special Forces, Air Force, Harris, First Round DRF, MIT, Draper, and NASA.
• Vesper — Vesper is an electrical and electronic manufacturing company that specializes in microphones, piezoelectric, and audio. The company is driven by a mission is to deliver voice-powered products to every market, around the world. Vesper was founded in 2009 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Medrhythms — Pioneering Next-Generation Digital Therapeutics to Improve Walking  

Portfolio highlights

• Material Bank — Material Bank International
• Rock The Bells — Rock The Bells is an online store for hip-hop culture merchandise.
• East Asian Super League — EASL creates a premier basketball league while elevating the sport in Asia as the region’s first professional intra-club basketball league. EASL is the premier regional championship competition for club basketball in East Asia.

Portfolio highlights

• Payabli — Payment infrastructure for your software platform. Accept payments from customers and make payouts to vendors and contractors with our API's.
• Foro — We help your business connect, compare, and choose between top business lenders. Get started to see the best loan options for your business.
• Carry1st — Carry1st develops and publishes enriching mobile games and content apps for African consumers.

Portfolio highlights

• Longjiang Network — Longjiang Network is an AR mobile game developer, dedicated to the development and IP operation of AR games.
• Wicked Saints Studios — We used behavioral technology to create interactive media that is wickedly fun and actively good. Wicked Saints emerged from Niantic’s incubator last fall (CNBC article) with a prototype of the world’s first adventure activism game, World Reborn. At its simplest, World Reborn is an interactive story game with real-life quests facilitated byaugmented reality (AR). It not only defies genres between narrative and AR games but blends the digital and real world. Wicked Saints sees AR as a bridge between fantasy and reality, with untapped potential to offer players immersive experiences that change them and their world for good.
• The Believer Company — Join the journey We are building a world-class team to serve players for years to come. If you believe in games, we believe in you.

Portfolio highlights

• Abela — Abela is a mobile payments platform that allows the underserved to make and receive payments.
• Vocalysd.ai — Vocalysd is a customer-centric, AI-powered insights tool. Vocalysd unlocks usable, easy-to-digest insights from your conversational data. These insights are key to optimising client interactions and enhancing your customers' experience.
• Welo Health — Welo Health is an innovative Healthtech Company. It to provide at-home health services.

Portfolio highlights

• Lengo — Lengo is an AI based intelligence platform that offers a large database on consumer goods for companies in the FMCG sector.
• Zanifu — The zanifu platform, allows small retailers in Sub Saharan Africa, to procure inventory from their suppliers & pay later.
• Fixit45 — Your best ever automobile service experience awaits you.

Portfolio highlights

• Afference — Powering the sense of touch in the digital world. Feel digital objects in AR, VR, and XR with our groundbreaking haptic feedback device, the Phantom.
• Proxima — At Proxima, we aim to push the boundaries of interactive entertainment by blending innovative technology with deep artistry. We believe in the magic of exploration, the power of creativity, and the strength of human connection that form the very foundation of our gaming experiences.
• CANOPUS Networks — Understand exactly what is happening on your network at all times. CANOPUS indexes terabit-scale traffic in real-time to provide actionable insights and forensic analysis.

Portfolio highlights

• Inseco — Inseco is an IT company that specializes in management solutions, ERP, CRM, GED, HR, and business solutions.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.
• Inseco — Sustainable insect protein producers, converting organic by-products into nutritious protein. This high in protein product is used in animal feed, pet food, crop production, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Portfolio highlights

• PayCode Inc — Paycode is a South African fintech that combines biometric digital identity and payments in one platform. By offering these two solutions, users are able to access financial services that include cash pay-outs, mobile money, remittances, insurance, microloans, airtime, electricity, and social grants.

Portfolio highlights

• Syscap — Syscap is a financial technology company that offers cutting-edge solutions to financial institutions to have a better administration and management of their funding sources. It connects the leaders of financial and real estate institutions with their funders. For institutions, the company ensures the optimization of their funding source managementprocesses, but also the strengthening of the relationship with their funders. To funders, Syscap guarantees the transparency and timely monitoring of its funds for the safety and growth of its resources.
• Godochurch — GoDoChurch is a cloud-based church administration software which is designed to assist Christian churches and ministries with managing members, Sunday services, events, communications, and more. The system is made up of a base package, covering messaging, news, ministries, lists, church roles, services, events, and growth paths, with additionalmodules for managing follow-ups, groups, and Kids church.
• Ikeja Wireless — Welcome to your Ikeja. We are a home-grown tech company that builds services enabling affordable internet access to Ekasi. We may have coverage in your area!

Portfolio highlights

• hearX Group — Digital audiology technology to screen, diagnose & treat hearing loss globally. Award-winning solutions for more efficient & cost-effective hearing care.

Portfolio highlights

• Octiv — Octiv is a well-known platform for gym management software.
• wamly — Streamline your hiring process and save 70% of your hiring hours with Wamly's our one-way video interview software.
• VoxCroft — VoxCroft is making the world a better, safer place with population-centric intelligence.

Portfolio highlights

• AI21 Labs — AI21 Labs is an AI lab & product company whose mission is to reimagine the way we read and write by making the machine a thought partner to humans.
• Aifficient.Tech — AIfficient.Tech is a revolutionary platform designed to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the power of artificial intelligence. With a focus on enhancing productivity, efficiency, and innovation, AIfficient.Tech offers a wide range of AI-driven services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses across variousindustries. Our mission is to level the playing field for SMEs by providing them with AI solutions that were previously accessible only to industry giants. We aim to help businesses work smarter, not harder, by automating routine tasks and providing real-time data and predictive analytics for informed decision-making. What sets AIfficient.Tech apart is our extensive library of 1,500 predefined and trained Autonomous AI Agents, classified using ONET codes, that cater to a wide array of functions and industries. These roles act as intelligent virtual employees, known as Cognitive Autonomous Agents, that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows.
• RAD-AID International — RAD-AID International is dedicated to improve radiology services in the developing world and poor areas.

Portfolio highlights

• Stems Labs — community and platform for collaborative creativity
• Thirdverse — Thirdverse (formerly known as Yomuneco Inc) is engaged in Virtual Reality content and services planning, development, sales and management.
• Avalon — Avalon is an Orlando, Florida-based platform to create games and virtual experiences.

Portfolio highlights

• Adaptavate — Our purpose is to help the construction industry adapt to change, by mainstreaming the production, manufacturing and availability of world leading low carbon building materials.
• Greenspark — Turn your e-commerce business into a force for good, increase sales and engage your customers in climate action with Greenspark.
• Cheesecake Energy — Cheesecake Energy is developing advanced thermal and compressed air energy systems to store energy from intermittent renewables, turning them into reliable power on-demand.

Portfolio highlights

• Sava — Sava is a multi-management platform that provides an unlimited number of virtual cards as well as automated accounting reconciliation.
• Stitch — One API integration for all online payments across South Africa. Accept Instant EFT, debit + credit card, cash, direct deposit and debits. Manage + reconcile digital payments and send payouts.
• Bettr — Bettr is a digital banking app for creator. Download the app to get your zero monthly fee digital bank account and virtual card. Join our community of creators, gamers, influencers, freelancers, tiktokkers, streamers, YouTubers and digital gig workers.

Portfolio highlights

• wiGroup — wiGroup is a SaaS provider that has developed leading Loyalty & Rewards and mCommerce products. Through these, we enable clients to deliver solutions that increase engagement, retention, sales, basket size, speed of checkout, and frequency of spend.Our tech is currently used by retailers, brands, insurance companies, banks, quick servicehospitality restaurants, and a host of other businesses looking to deliver value through mobile. The platform was launched in 2007 and is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Portfolio highlights

• PayHippo — PayHippo is making it easier to finance small and medium sized businesses in Africa. There is a need for financing of $158 bn for SMEs in Nigeria alone. To start, PayHippo helps SMEs access and spend lender capital effectively. During their first full operational year in 2020, the PayHippo co--founders leveraged their domain expertise and foundingexperience to beat their 2020 goal by 50%.
• Carry1st — Carry1st develops and publishes enriching mobile games and content apps for African consumers.

Portfolio highlights

• Powerspike — Powerspike is a new type of advertising network based on content creators - where any marketer can make their brand famous in a few clicks. Our Endorsement Serving technology automatically buys, executes, and optimizes content creator endorsements - replacing the traditionally lengthy process of RFP’s, human negotiations, and insertion orders.
• Ready Player Me — The Ready Player Me platform leverages AI, ML , and a suite of developer-first tools to empower developers to integrate avatars into their games and apps to launch faster, improve user adoption, and grow revenue through asset monetization.
• Carry1st — Carry1st develops and publishes enriching mobile games and content apps for African consumers.

Portfolio highlights

• Magic Spoon — Magic Spoon cereal is high-protein, low-sugar, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. Available in Cocoa, Frosted, Fruity, Blueberry, Peanut Butter, and Cinnamon.
• Everyrealm — Leaders in metaverse innovation and development.
• Altered State Machine — Altered State Machine, aims to be a platform and protocol which any developer can build on it; can create, own, and compete with AI-based agents (bots) and upgrade and train their AI, buy, and sell them as NFTs. This will bring an evolution for NFTS.

Portfolio highlights

• Releaf — We are industrializing food processing in Africa. We've led 1000+ smallholder farmers to provide food factories with >7.5 million kilograms of quality crops.
• MarketForce — MarketForce connects Africa’s informal retail outlets and consumers directly to suppliers of consumer goods and financial services by digitizing orders, delivery, and payments with the aim of solving the last mile distribution challenge.
• SHYFT Power Solutions — SHYFT builds industrial-grade IoT and integrated software to connect and intelligently manage distributed energy resources (DERs) in markets that struggle with resiliency. SHYFT is pioneering the development of integrated decentralized power systems in emerging markets like Nigeria, leapfrogging over traditional central infrastructure and enablingDERs to scale and support existing but unreliable grids.

Portfolio highlights

• Autogrid — Building a Resilient and Sustainable Grid with Distributed Energy Resources. Enabling a smarter, cleaner, more distributed electric power grid.
• 45-8 ENERGY — 45-8 ENERGY is exploring eco-friendly helium for uses in many industries.
• Zola Electric — ZOLA Electric designs renewable energy solutions based on the latest in solar, battery and power electronics technology. Adaptable to energy need and income, ZOLA Electric’s solar systems can be bought over time using PAYGo micro-finance leasing and mobile money payments. ZOLA Electric powers more than 180,000 homes and businesses across Tanzania,Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Investors include Tesla, Vulcan Capital, DBL Partners, Helios Investment Partners, EDF, Total and GE Ventures. ZOLA Electric is a recipient of the UN Momentum for Change Award, the Zayed Future Energy Prize and is a member of the Global Cleantech 100.

Portfolio highlights

• Oze — OZÉ brings African small businesses into the digital era. It is an app that makes it easy for businesses to track sales, expenses, and customer information. The data is analyzed to provide tailored recommendations, reports, and business education. If the entrepreneur needs a little extra support, an OZÉ Coach is just a click away. As they are usingOZÉ to manage their business and learn how to run it better, we are learning about them. Using this data and machine learning, we can predict their credit risk and provide them with affordable capital from our banking partners. With over 20,000 registered users, OZÉ is the largest online community of SMEs in Ghana. The most exciting thing is that OZÉ works; 97% of businesses that have used OZE for at least 9 months are growing or profitable or both!
• Twende — Twende connect people traveling in the same direction - drivers offer the empty seats in their car to other travelers going the same way.
• 4G Capital — Financial Services, Small Business Loans, Unsecured Loans, Microfinance, Credit Solutions, Working Capital, Flexible Repayment Options, Quick Loan Disbursements, Collateral-free Loans. banking 4G Capital. Kuza. Kawi, Upia, NXTGEN, africa bank. kenya bank. uganda bank. Green Investment, Sustainable returns. funding. impact

Portfolio highlights

• Carscan — cARscan is an Augmented Reality app with an embedded visual recognition AI to track the visual condition of every motor vehicle during its life-stage.
• Talk360 — Talk360 is an easy-to-use calling app that helps people make affordable international calls to any mobile and landline number. They believe that reliable communication and digital services must be affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of someone's background. Especially people in emerging countries in Africa, who often need theseservices the most, do not always have the necessary banking possibilities. To bridge this distance, Talk360 will launch the world's first single checkout platform for Africa. This platform will combine all locally available payment methods and currencies across Africa, together with over 1.25 million cash points of sales, and will eventually be available to other companies as well. This means that 500 million Africans will be able to purchase digital services they never had access to before.

Portfolio highlights

• OOVA — OOVA is a fertility diagnostic company that spun out from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Using patent pending biochemistry and artificial intelligence, OOVA learns a woman’s fertility profile by accurately measuring key hormones over time through daily urine samples. By monitoring this critical balance of hormones, OOVA can help a woman getpregnant, identify reasons she is having trouble getting pregnant, and even expose reproductive health issues like PCOS.
• Lightyear — Lightyear is a simple and approachable way to invest your money globally without unnecessary barriers and fees.
• Virgin Voyages — Ahoy Sailor! Welcome to Virgin Voyages: our adult only cruise ships redefine luxury cruise vacations to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Europe, and beyond.

Portfolio highlights

• Leta — Leta Technology is a software development company that creates supply chain and logistics software to enable the efficient and automated movement of goods.
• Jumba — Jumba is a construction technology platform that streamlines B2B construction material purchase and financing.
• UTU Technologies — Trust infrastructure for the sharing economy.

Portfolio highlights

• Terraa — Terraa is a B2B distribution platform in Moroccan.
• OmniBiz — Omnibiz is a digital platform for small businesses willing to attract new customers.
• Revivo — Revivo is an online marketplace for electronics spare parts, tools & accessories.

Portfolio highlights

• Vaionex — Next Generation Blockchain Applications. We are building the infrastructure and services that will power the new internet and economic system.
• BikeFair — BikeFair is an online marketplace for comfortable buying and selling verified non-stolen bicycles.The idea of BikeFair arose from our personal need to buy a cheap (yet usable) bike for everyday use in the Netherlands. That felt like an extremely hard & annoying thing to do with the existent tools. We are also fed up by the number of bikes weand our friends have already lost to theft, and we realized there is a way out of this: we can cut the demand for stolen bikes by creating a nice and easy-to-use alternative.Designed to prevent trading stolen bikes, BikeFair offers an easy and fun to use service alternative to the shady dude trying to sell you an obviously stolen bike on the corner at midnight.
• mintBlue — Enterprise infrastructure for decentralised storage and authentication at scale. SDKs and APIs built for absolute data ownership.

Portfolio highlights

• Castelion — We are a modern defense production company building the next generation of military hypersonic, vehicle, and strike systems to deter future wars.
• Headway — Headway is a mental healthcare system provider based in New York. It develops a health insurance advisory platform designed to connect patients with therapists and provides administrative support to therapists who don’t typically accept insurance. The company was founded by Andrew Adams, Jake Sussman, Dan Ross, and Kevin Chan in 2019.
• Blackbird — We believe the next great hospitality technology platform should connect restaurants and their customers directly, in meaningful and ongoing ways. Blackbird is founded by a team with a passion for restaurants and a track record of using technology to solve problems.

Portfolio highlights

• Sudo — Sudo is an open API platform that enables businesses to embed powerful financial features into their products. Build in minutes, launch in days.
• CreditChek — Easily assess & verify credit worthiness in Africa.
• Carry1st — Carry1st develops and publishes enriching mobile games and content apps for African consumers.

Portfolio highlights

• Vyng — Vyng has built a next-generation Caller ID platform that visualizes every call. Vyng is helping start better conversations between friends, family, and businesses for the next half billion smartphone users in India and beyond.Vyng boasts 4 billion videos played across 170 countries since its launch in 2018. The company has raised $7MM and isbacked by March Capital, Omidyar Network, a Sequoia Capital partner, and the founders of Giphy and GroupMe.
• Doubtnut — Doubt solutions for Maths, Science, CBSE, NCERT, IIT JEE, NEET & Class 6 to 12. Click, type question to get instant video answers solved by Doubtnut team.
• Kaleidofin — Kaleidofin is a fintech platform that provides complete financial solutions for excluded individuals and households. The platform propels under-banked customers towards meeting their real life goals by providing intuitive and tailored financial solutions. Their solutions take into account the financial roadblocks and vulnerability that thesesegments, such as volatile income streams and limited understanding of the fine print in financial products.Kaleidofin creates individual profiles of households based on several sources and uses that information to tailor its services for each customer. It also provides curated, goal-based financial solutions to people in the underbanked segments. It will leverage the full India stack, existing networks, analytics, structuring, and user-centered design to drive outcomes for customers, in the processKaleidofin was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Portfolio highlights

• Mijem — Mijem is the buy sell marketplace app to tap into your campus community. Save money. Earn cash. Connect with students. Download the free app.
• Centi — Get a real-time payment solution designed for media, events, and e-commerce. Download the app and discover all the benefits Centi brings for business worldwide!
• Transmira — Augmented and Virtual Reality Solutions

Portfolio highlights

• CNote — CNote created technology to streamline community-centered impact investing at scale. Further Racial Equity and Social Justice by investing with CNote.
• Rhaeos — Rhaeos, the world's first wearable shunt monitor, aims to improve the quality care for patients with hydrocephalus through a novel, thermal biosensor. Developed within Northwestern University with collaboration between Dr. John Rogers, McCormick School of Engineering, Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management, Rhaeosrepresents a unique multidisciplinary translational effort for an important clinical need.
• Masa — Masa Finance seeks to disrupt traditional centralized credit infrastructure by providing individuals, businesses, and developers with the tools to access credit and enable untapped wealth creation for 4.95B people globally.