NBA Africa’s Triple-Double accelerator announced four African startups as winners
The NBA Africa’s Triple-Double Accelerator has named four African startups the overall winners, giving them access to mentorship and financial prizes.
NBA Africa manages the league’s operations in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization.
The startup accelerator Triple-Double, which will give cash prizes and other forms of support to African startups in their early stages, opened applications in April, according to media reports. Operated by tech incubator ALX Ventures, Triple-Double is aimed at early-stage startups in Africa developing solutions in event management and ticketing, youth development, AI, and digital marketing in the sports and creative industries.
In order to receive guidance on product development, business growth, and go-to-market strategy, ten startups were chosen to participate in the program. These startups were paired with mentors from NBA Africa, ALX, and other corporate stakeholders. Following their pitch, four finalists were chosen by a panel of judges during a demo day held late last month at the NBA headquarters in New York City.
Festival Coins, an event technology company based in Nigeria that provides Tix Africa, a no-code registration platform, won first place and a US$50,000 prize. Salubata, another Nigerian company that reduces global carbon footprint by repurposing plastic waste into modular shoes, came in second and won US $40,000.
Egypt’s UBR VR, which offers immersive virtual reality experiences, placed fourth and won US $20,000. Kenya’s HustleSasa, which provides live event services like payment processing and influencer tracking, secured third place and a US $30,000 prize.
The four winning businesses will receive not only the cash prize but also the chance to take part in workshops and development programs led by NBA Africa or its partners, as well as continuous mentoring.
The final six competitors each took home $10,000 USD. They were Vambo Technologies of South Africa, Gara of the Ivory Coast, Buzza of Nigeria, Naemo Global of Nigeria, Backrest of Rwanda, and Ghana’s Power to Girls Foundation.
“We congratulate all of the talented entrepreneurs who participated, with special recognition to the finalists and winners. These outstanding companies are ready to shape the future of sports in Africa and elevate the continent on the global stage,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.
