Tracology, a patented process that deploys Barcodes/QRcodes to residences serviced by utility/waste management companies registered within their database has been announced as one of the top three winners at the just concluded Aso Villa Demo Day 2016 (AVDD2016). They have showered encomiums on Microsoft Nigeria for playing a pivotal role during its gestation period.
Microsoft isn’t new to working with start-ups, since 2008, more than 75,000 start-ups from over 100 countries have received access to tools and resources through the Microsoft BizSpark program. The BizSpark program gives start-ups 3 years of free software, services, tech support, and Azure cloud.
According to the Philanthropies Lead at Microsoft Nigeria, Olusola Amusan, he said “Microsoft aims to enable entrepreneurs take their ideas to the market by providing the right tools and mentorship. In our journey to create a sustainable ecosystem for online Start-up’s, we are making a long-term commitment to seeing Start up’s using ICT technology to do business better, scale more quickly, create, and consume more IT services, and thus, improve trade and the economy of the Country.”
During his AVDD2016 final pitch Emmanuel Okena, Founder/CEO of Tracology said that the patented smart payment system will boost governments’ and utility companies’ revenue generation drive while engendering customer service satisfaction.
Okena, who addressed the audience including the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibajo; acting Director- General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji; amongst other top government stakeholders, said, “With Tracology we would help government and utility companies whether it is waste, water or land use charge. These Barcodes/QRcodes are scanned on waste pickup day thereby verifying customers that have paid using electronic payment. This process can also be used for payment by citizens to government for other services.”
He further mentioned that, “We have seen with our technology that it will enable us to have cleaner cities, increased revenue generation, which leads to more civil serviced activities like building of roads, income generation, and better return on investments for companies on our platform. It is a win-win situation for everybody that is involved.”
Emmanuel Okena expressed his appreciation to Microsoft for giving the seed funding to position the company for early growth. Apart from the seed funding received last year through the passion to empire campaign, they benefitted from Microsoft Azure through the BizSpark program which their solution is built on and were also supported with mentorship. Okena further stated that, “It has been a wonderful experience with Microsoft and the next stage is for us to drive adoption across the country which will benefit all that will be part of it.”
Apart from Tracology, Shuttlers NG, a mass transit application that enables professionals to access comfortable and efficient transportation to and from work using seat matching technology and RecyclePoints a waste recycling and social benefit venture that operates an incentive-based scheme which collects recyclable materials from post consumers and in turn rewards them with ‘points’, emerged the top three winners at the concluded Aso Villa Demo Day 2016 and went home with three million naira each for their solutions.