Tech: Here are the 10 African startups selected for the 2018 Zambezi Prize for Innovation in Financial Inclusion

The finalists will join leaders from the MIT and African tech ecosystems in Nairobi later this month.

 

• Zambezi Prize was established in 2015 to discover Africa's most promising and innovative early-stage start-ups.

• The competition will award a total of $200,000 in prizes.

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The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation has announced finalists for the 2018 edition of the Zambezi Prize for Innovation in Financial Inclusion.

The prestigious competition, awarding a total of $200,000 in prizes, was established in 2015 to discover Africa’s most promising and innovative early-stage start-ups that promote and advance financial inclusion on the continent.

ALSO READ: Two Nigerian startups, 9 others selected for 2018 Ecobank Fintech Challenge

Here are the selected African startups:

1. Apollo Agriculture (Kenya)

2. Bidhaa Sasa (Kenya)

3. FarmDrive (Kenya)

4. Farmerline (Ghana)

5. LanteOTC(South Africa)

6. MaTontine (Senegal)

7. OZE (Ghana)

8. RecyclePoints (Nigeria)

9. Tulaa (Kenya)

10. Wala (South Africa)

The finalists will join leaders from the MIT and African tech ecosystems on August 28 and 29 at the 2018 MIT Open Mic Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The two-day event will include a VIP reception followed by the award ceremony at Strathmore University where the grand prize winner will be awarded $100,000. Two runners-up will each receive $30,000 while the seven remaining finalists will each receive $5,000 in cash prizes.

Additionally, the Legatum Center will award $5,000 to an African entrepreneur who demonstrated great leadership qualities to unify Africa’s tech ecosystem.

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