Asuqu.com is the first Nigerian marketplace of more than 300 trusted freelancers and businesses offering high quality creative and professional services at an affordable price. Today, the company announced it has joined the Rwanda-based incubation hub think alongside three other startups.
They are the four new entrants to think incubator as part of a new think Accelerated program.
“In addition to think’s signature 6-month “core” program, the company has developed a high-intensity 3-month offering. This new track will allow more opportunities for pan-African start-ups to benefit from a faster, more immersive course in Rwanda, and for accelerated financial matching services with investors,” the hub said in a statement.
think Accelerated offers the opportunity to fast track talented tech entrepreneurs – particularly those digital companies from across the Continent who want to return quickly to their home markets after intense incubator services in Rwanda by providing space, internet and business development services.
think said it is pleased to announce the first round of think Accelerated businesses joining the program in June 2015.
Each team will receive financing, strategic consulting services, and a tailored growth-training curriculum, as well as access to Tigo resources and global tech mentors. These teams provide a variety of IT solutions across Africa that meet diverse consumer needs, each with an ability to scale rapidly.
Paul Soko, Investment Manager of think, said: “ think Accelerated, enables us to attract a wider range of entrepreneurs and tech start ups who will benefit from a fast-track incubator offering, keeping Africa at the forefront of innovation. This new program is a hallmark of Millicom’s commitment to innovation and to growing the IT startup environment across Africa.”
Apart from Asuqu, the other 3 startups are Esaja (Zimbabwe), SafeMotos (Rwanda) and Team Tigo (Rwanda).
Esaja is a B2B marketplace that connects companies across Eastern & Southern Africa to each other, creating a truly African marketplace of goods and services. The founders, passionate about a unified African economy, are leveraging technology to bridge borders and magnify African trade zones for the good of small business development. Clinton Mutambo founder of Esaja.com has been recently profiled by Inc. and Forbes Africa named him one of Africa’s 30 under 30. Esaja.com is also one of the Kairos50 global startups 2014/5.
SafeMotos uses a sophisticated algorithm to pair proximity and safety metrics, this “Uber” for African motor taxis is providing new levels of convenience and safety for Rwandan commuters. Users love it for the increased knowledge about their drivers; drivers love it for the ease of attracting riders who pay easily with mobile money. The first African company to be invested in by SOS Ventures. They are also finalists in Pivot East Africa 2015 and their application is live on google play and operational in their first market Kigali.
Riding the wave of “intrapreneurship”, Team Tigo team is comprised exclusively of Tigo staff mainly from Commercial, Marketing and IT business units. Tigo has committed resources to support a think Accelerated course for 3 months, while developing digital solutions for rollout across Tigo platforms.
