10 trailblazing startups in GrindstoneX: empowering women in tech - TechCabal

Grindstone and Naspers Labs person announced the 10 women-led startups selected for their South African women-focused accelerator program, GrindstoneX. The shortlisted businesses see Africa Beyond 4IR, Blushproof, Chicken Bar, Four Minute Medicine, Seponono Africa, Abaguquli, Thetha Digital, Tsehla Holdings, Wisi-oi Marketplace, and Young Rebels Marketing.

The GrindstoneX accelerator was launched successful September 2022 with fiscal enactment from Naspers Labs. It aims to assistance much women-founded businesses go scalable, charismatic to investors and exit-ready. The accelerator volition bash this by assessing the startups and offering them interventions based connected their concern needs. The interventions whitethorn see concern strategy, go-to-market planning, backing readiness and networking, and adept concern coaching, including mentorship and proposal from Grindstone Alumni companies that person successfully scaled oregon exited their businesses.

The start-ups shortlisted for GrindstoneX run successful assorted sectors including hydroponics, branding and web development, manner marketplace, online education, and integer empowerment done animation, gaming, and virtual reality. The programme director, Nonceba Qabazi, said the start-ups selected for GrindstoneX each person 1 happening successful common: the ingenuity and thrust of their women founders. 

Learn much astir the pistillate founders and their businesses:

Africa Beyond 4IR

Africa Beyond 4IR aspires to ignite a spark of technological advancement and entrepreneurial tone successful marginalized communities by bridging the integer disagreement successful specified communities of South Africa. It has programmes that present communities to gaming, animation, drones, programming, and virtual reality. It besides has an incubation programme for entrepreneurs who tally businesses with this technology. Kelebogile Molopyane is the laminitis of Africa Beyond 41R. 

Blushproof

Blushproof employs ecommerce and outgo exertion to beforehand women’s empowerment done its product—leak-proof reusable play panties. The products are reusable, enabling women to prevention wealth connected play expenses and besides spare the situation the contamination that non-biodegradable tampons and pads cause. Blush was founded by Thandi Hartmann.

 Chicken Bar

Founded by Asanda Maqbuka, Chicken Bar is simply a nutrient concern riding the question of health-conscious dining. The edifice uses an online transportation work to present chickenhearted meals to the doorstep of customers. Chicken Bar besides has a increasing franchise, which uses computerised pricing and absorption bundle to service its franchise owners. 

Four Minute Medicine

Four Minute Medicine works with a web of specialists, generalists, and aesculapian students to nutrient evidence-based teaching connected aesculapian subjects. Its online courses enactment blended and adaptive learning with e-learning to assistance students accelerate their nonrecreational training. Phinda Njisane is the laminitis of Four Minute medicine.

Seponono Africa

Seponono Africa started retired selling African people headwraps arsenic firm gifts earlier evolving into integer branding. It offers marque consultations, marque design, integer marketing, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services to businesses. The laminitis of Seponono Africa is  Tebogo Petlele.

 Abaguquli

Abaguquli wants to hole the younker for the 4th concern gyration done training, accusation and entree to opportunities. It offers grooming successful the improvement of websites, mobile apps, eCommerce, and chatbots. It besides offers acquisition connected Arduino electronics, 3D printing, Raspberry, animation, and integer marketing. The laminitis of Seponono Africa is  Aasiyah Adams

 Thetha Digital

Thetha Digital helps businesses make engaging acquisition contented for their people audience. This contented tin beryllium animations, copywriting, voice-overs, video oregon audio formats.  The startup besides partners with Naspers Labs to upskill younker successful integer media and edTech.  Yen Zen Xhu is the laminitis of Thetha Digital.

Tsehla Holdings 

Founded by Roseline Mapuranga, agritech startup Tsehla Holdings is successful the concern of hydroponics. The startup offers hydroponic passageway installation services for individuals and organisations. It besides offers grooming connected however to negociate and turn crops successful hydroponic systems.

Wisi-oi Marketplace

Wisi-Oi Marketplace is an ecommerce level that allows sellers to big online stores for pre-loved manner items. It besides facilitates payments and delivers purchased goods to buyers. It besides offers shoppers a buy-now-pay-later enactment that allows them to store connected recognition astatine zero interest. Phumelele Körber is its founder.

Young Rebels Marketing

Young Rebels started retired offering out-of-the-box nationalist relations services and go-to-market strategies to businesses. Now the institution specialises successful designing connection and emotion-processing games that beforehand bully affectional and intelligence wellness among young people. The laminitis of Young Rebels Marketing is Faith Wesson.