GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Overview of the programme Sam Ajadi, Insights Manager GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator
What does the GSMA do?
About the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator: Why this programme? Objective To help scale commercially sustainable innovative mobile services that provide socioeconomic impact.
Mobile Operators
Start-Ups
Fund and support start-ups to stimulate new products and services
Support mobile operators by ensuring their assets are more accessible to help them become best in class in attracting innovation Facilitate partnerships between operators and start-ups to help innovative ideas reach scale
This initiative is currently funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT), and supported by the GSMA and its members.
About the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator: our activities Innovation Fund
Awareness & Insights
3 rounds, 35-40 Start-ups, between 2017 and 2020
Fostering better collaboration between Mobile Operators & Start-ups in emerging markets
Post-revenue
Mobile-centric
Selected start-ups receive: Funding: grants between ÂŁ100,000 - ÂŁ250,000
Start-ups Socio-economic impact Africa or Asia Pacific
2 Innovation Focus Areas
Mobile-focused mentoring and bespoke technical assistance Opportunities to build partnerships with mobile operators
Disseminated to the ecosystem stakeholders through key events, 1to1 meetings, social media, videos etc.
More information: www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programmes/ecosystem-accelerator
Innovation Fund – Round 1 Portfolio Kytabu is a leasing application for textbooks. By breaking textbooks down into leasable lessons, their aim is to make educational content accessible and affordable to low-andmiddle income families, and to improve educational access across KENYA.
SafeMotos’ mobile-based platform increases road safety and enables better interaction between motorcycle taxi drivers and customers in RWANDA. Drivers are able to differentiate themselves as customers know they are monitored via smartphone sensors for their driving habits. .
Optimetriks is an EAST AFRICAN company whose solutions enable FMCG companies operating in Africa to better understand their sales and distribution through smarter field data obtained from crowdsourced contributors, who receive a source of income for their participation.
Twiga Foods provides improved market access to farmers by buying fresh produce from them and also ensures a constant hassle-free supply chain to roadside vendors in Nairobi, KENYA. These vendors are empowered to increase their product availability and income. .
PrepClass is a online tutoring platform that connects learners and tutors. A pool of teachers who have been interviewed and thoroughly vetted offer their services to learners. This provides a source of income for tutors and supports the education of students in NIGERIA.
Biscate connects workers in the informal sector (plumbers, painters, mechanics etc.) who usually lack internet access to customers through hybrid USSD and web technologies. The service provides greater employment and income opportunities for these workers in MOZAMBIQUE.
eSewa aims to make financial services accessible to unbanked populations in NEPAL and to provide them with business opportunities through mobile phones. Their objective is to bring more people into mainstream financial channels through mobile financial services.
Ruangguru is a freemium Learning Management System (LMS) that helps students prepare for exams using content tailored to the national curriculum, and helps teachers to crowdsource educational content and distribute it to students across INDONESIA.
Raye7 is a culturally sensitive carpooling solution for daily commuting which uses the trust reflected in social networks for a sharing economy solution using mobile services. Users receive a cost-effective transportation solution, until now difficult to find in Cairo, EGYPT.
More information: Announcing the first start-ups selected by our GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund
Innovation Fund – Round 2 update
4
OPERATING IN: 554 applications received from 42 countries
Main criteria to be eligible:
Applications came from a wide variety of countries including Papua New Guinea, Mali and Niger
Africa or AsiaPacific
Mobile technology
Socioeconomic impact
Innovation focus Areas
82% of the applications came from Africa and 18% from Asia Pacific
OR/AND :
Team currently running due diligence on a selected shortlist of start-ups A dozen of start-ups will be receiving grants, to be announced in Dec 2017
Round 3: 1st Quarter 2018 gsma.com/eainnovationfund
More information: Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund Round 2: insights from African start-ups’ applications
Innovation Fund Round 2: Findings from African start-up pitches
More information: Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund Round 2: insights from African start-ups’ applications
Contact accelerator@gsma.com gsma.com/ecosystemaccelerator Sam Ajadi, Insights Manager, GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Email: sajadi@gsma.com Twitter: @AjadiSam