The three-year GrindstoneX accelerator program, which seeks to empower female entrepreneurs while generating jobs, has selected ten South African startups.
Grindstone, founded in 2014 and owned jointly by Knife Capital and Thinkroom, provides support to high-growth, innovation-driven companies in order to facilitate expansion.
The youth development initiative of the international consumer internet company and technology investor, Naspers, is called Naspers Labs.
The two organizations have teamed up to create GrindstoneX, which will annually identify the top 10 female-founded South African businesses and put them through Grindstone’s 12-month growth engineering curriculum.
The members of the first cohort, which have now been selected, are as follows:
- Africa Beyond 4IR is an initiative for digital incubation and empowerment in Africa.
- Blushproof, is a company that designs unique, leak-free, reusable period underwear and sells it online;
- Chicken Bar, is a restaurant that serves grilled chicken and has an online delivery service that uses GPS and other cutting-edge technologies;
- Four Minute Medicine is a platform for e-learning and e-health.
- Seponono Africa is a digital branding company.
- Abaguquli4IR, a company that trains and upskills individuals in 4IR;
- Thetha Digital, which produces top-notch instructional and digital material for South African businesses;
- Tsehla Holdings creates hydroponics careers for women through cutting-edge technology;
- Wisi-Oi, a website where you can buy and sell gently used clothing;
- Young Rebels Marketing is a digital marketing firm.
- The female founders will go through in-depth evaluations and analyses of their businesses, followed by carefully planned interventions, as necessary.
GrindstoneX, which leverages the expertise and accomplishments of Grindstone’s growth engineering programs, is made possible by financial backing from Naspers Labs.
For more information visit the website.
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