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Start-up Knight competition begins

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 02 Oct 2012

A new competition, aiming to help local software-based tech start-ups succeed, gets under way this week.

Software development company Byte Orbit is behind the competition and has brought a number of sponsors on board, including Microsoft, Nokia, Bandwidth Barn and 8ta.

The winning start-up will receive software packages from Microsoft to run its business for three years, as well as $60 000 worth of Azure Services. Bandwidth Barn will provide free office space for six months and 8ta will provide a 3G data modem loaded with its 60Gig + 60Gig offering. Nokia is also providing product sponsorship.

The grand prize from Byte Orbit includes software development to the value of R100 000, and the company will take a small equity stake in the winning business and subsequently support it on an ongoing basis to increase the start-up's ability to succeed.

Byte Orbit CEO Amit Ramdath says: "We would like to extend a challenge to other established technology-based companies to identify and incubate innovative entrepreneurs in SA."

Participants can enter online by filling out the entry form on the Byte Orbit Web site, and the main requirement is that the entry must be focused on a software product.

Entries will close on 25 October. Fifteen finalists will be announced on 26 October, and will then be required to pitch their business to a judging panel at the Byte Orbit offices in Cape Town on 3 November. The winner will be announced that evening at a special event.

The judging panel will consist of Ramdath, Nokia head of ecosystem Anthony Stonefield, Microsoft equity equivalent lead Kethan Parbhoo, 8ta MD Amith Maharaj, Bandwidth Blog MD Charl Norman, and Ching Payments MD Martin Ras.

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