Flapmax’s FAST Accelerator update

Flapmax, a data and AI tech company, reveals the selection of twelve businesses for its second batch of the Microsoft-backed “FAST Accelerator,” designed to enhance Africa’s digital ecosystem. The FAST Accelerator recently concluded a two-week virtual boot camp, conducted in partnership with Microsoft.

Following the intensive online training that over sixty tech businesses participated in during the boot camp, the cohort of twelve startups will move on to a five-week comprehensive acceleration experience that will begin in October in Silicon Valley, California, under the guidance of experienced mentors.

These African startups are part of the FAST Accelerator 2023 cohort:

• Zeeh Africa is an open banking platform driven by AI that gives businesses access to financial data.
• Sumundi is a sophisticated e-commerce platform designed for retail companies in Africa.
• Cotrust Equity: An African microlending solution
• An AI-powered haulage network that links cargo stakeholders is called Trucki.
• Orange VFX, an animation and visual effects provider
• 10mg Pharma, providing AI-driven cost savings on medications for chronic pain patients
• Small business owners can use Wallx as a payment and business solution.
• Moosbu: Using AI to boost sales and finance for SMEs
• K-C Infrastructure for aquaculture and aquatec fish farming help fish growers grow sustainably.
• AI-powered banking for high earners: Aibanc
• With Zendawa Africa, local pharmacists can now do online sales
• Greenbii, a company that offers SMEs software management platforms and AI-driven asset financing

“Microsoft believes that African startups and SMEs are well-positioned to become a bedrock for the African digital economy, with relevant solutions to local societal and economic challenges,” said Microsoft Africa Transformation Office SME program manager Mame-Fatou Gueye. Participating in the FAST Accelerator program will help these entrepreneurs seize growth and market penetration opportunities.

Encourage young companies and underrepresented business owners

The FAST Accelerator program received applications from more than 1,200 applicants representing 35 African nations, encompassing a diverse array of industry sectors:

• Services for Financials (128 apps)
• Hospitality (95 instances)
• Agriculture (with 235 uses)
• Logistics and Transportation (60 applications)
• Energy and Clean Technology (57 applications)
• Entertainment and Creative Media (40 applications)

The candidates offered a wide range of cloud-based services and solutions to businesses across Africa, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity, stimulate creativity, and tackle important issues in their specialized fields.

“At Flapmax, our mission is to build societally impactful solutions that harness the power of AI to transform multiple industries through long-term partnerships with startups, SMEs, and global enterprises,” said Dr. Dave Ojika, the company’s founder and CEO.

Moreover we are putting together a special combination of cutting-edge AI technologies, company development strategies, and global-scale growth prospects for Africa and other emerging regions in partnership with technology partners like Microsoft and Intel.

“We want to use AI as a catalyst to enable startups and underrepresented business owners to grow their companies quickly and sustainably and generate new employment opportunities.”

The cohort will engage in a diverse range of activities starting on October 23. These will include training, company development, AI integration, fundraising, and other events. In order to increase their audience reach, they will also collaborate closely on co-innovation projects with Intel and Microsoft, get assistance with sales and marketing, and obtain go-to-market enablement.

The Flapmax technical team will also help startups implement optimized Large Language AI models (LLMs) and scale and optimize these models on Intel and Microsoft Azure platforms.