Eight new African tech startups receive investment from Jobtech Alliance

In an effort to provide Africans with good and respectable job opportunities throughout the continent, the Jobtech Alliance, led by Mercy Corps and BFA Global, has announced the launch of its second cohort of platforms.

In October 2022, the media covered the introduction of the Jobtech Alliance, an ecosystem-building project centered on inclusive jobtech in Africa led by BFA Global and Mercy Corps. The initiative’s goal is to foster an atmosphere that encourages entrepreneurs to develop platforms that offer inclusive, high-quality livelihoods and allow users to participate in meaningful work.

The eight startups have now been chosen for the second edition, following the selection of the first cohort in April of last year. Two of them are Nigerian-based Selar, an online marketplace that helps African creatives and entrepreneurs sell digital goods, services, and content internationally, and Instollar, a green energy marketplace that links renewable energy firms with independent contractors in the continent using location and skill algorithms.

There are two more that are based in Kenya: Mwingi, a technology-enabled trading network that is revolutionizing the supply of necessities to far-flung rural areas of Africa through franchised retail outlets, and Gwiji, a mobile platform that links impoverished women with urban households having cleaning needs.

The remaining ventures are: (1) Ethiopia’s Goodayon, a location-based gig platform that connects customers with dependable domestic help, home repair, and maintenance services; (2) South Africa’s CatalyzU, an end-to-end solution that vets, trains, and places non-technical talent at global startups and VC funds via a matchmaking talent marketplace; and (3) Uganda’s Opareta, which digitizes mobile money agent businesses, supporting activities like float management, performance analytics, and channel oversight.

“We’re thrilled to double down on our efforts with another cohort of jobtech innovators improving access to decent employment across Africa,” said Michelle Hassan, Co-director at Jobtech Alliance. “By building an enabling ecosystem, we can improve livelihoods across the continent.”

Through the Alliance’s expanding cross-sector partnerships, each platform will receive opportunities to scale their innovative platforms, investment capital, and specialized venture-building support from top experts. This program is a component of the larger Jobtech Alliance endeavor, which involves stakeholders, including investors and legislators, and hundreds of jobtech platforms throughout Africa in educational and community-building endeavors.