First cohort of 10 inclusive jobtech platforms announced by Jobtech Alliance

The Jobtech Alliance has announced the first group of ten companies that will take part in two new initiatives, have access to funding and mentorship, and develop accessible and appropriate jobtech solutions that connect young people to jobs.

The Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator and the Jobtech Innovation Lab are two new initiatives from the alliance that are aimed at supporting online tools that connect people to opportunities for work that improves lives.

Through a six-month program that will give the companies the tools to grow their ventures, the accelerator will offer US $200,000 in grant capital, customized venture-building support, and access to industry experts. To participate, four businesses have been chosen.

The Jobtech Innovation Lab will work with six businesses over the course of the coming year to support their efforts to develop new goods or services, expand and add more jobs, support their commercial growth strategy and gender-focused business strategy, enhance their operations to better deliver services, expand into new markets, or lower barriers to entry for underrepresented groups, particularly young women and refugees.

The four businesses chosen to take part in the Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator are Fitted, a digital platform from Nigeria that uses machine learning to eliminate inefficiencies in the custom tailoring industry, Jemla, a B2B e-commerce wholesale platform from Ethiopia that enables informal retailers to access a wide range of FMCG products, Mon Artisan, a skill-on-demand digital platform for artisans and gig workers in the informal sector, and Tana, a tech-enabled platform.

“It’s exciting to kick-off the first cohort of the Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator and continue implementing our acceleration work in the fintech and digital commerce space. Our collaboration with Mercy Corps through the Jobtech Alliance will enable us to support platforms in Africa,” said Michelle Hassan, co-director of Jobtech Alliance.

Jumia Uganda, with its sales agent program JForce, Kenya’s Power, which provides workers with digital financial services, Mauritius’ on-demand market intelligence platform Rwazi, Nigeria’s Scrapays, a platform for waste management, Ghana’s Tendo, which links wholesalers and resellers, and Kenya’s Wowzi, a multi-channel digital advertising marketplace, are the six businesses chosen to take part in the Jobtech Innovation Lab.

“We are not going to solve the problem of youth unemployment in Africa with any one jobtech platform,” said Jobtech Alliance Steering Group member, Paul Breloff, about the Jobtech Innovation Lab. “But by investing at the tip of the spear, in innovation and experimentation, these platforms teach us about what works and where to go in this emerging sector.”