The first four start-up companies have been enrolled in Umbono, Google's local tech incubator at The Hub, in Cape Town.
Umbono is a six-month incubation project for selected technology entrepreneurs.
Four teams have been selected for the first round of incubation, and they have already been enjoying the benefits of free office space, bandwidth and seed capital from Umbono's panel of angel investors and Google.
Participants also benefit from the mentorship network of Google experts, who will provide guidance on issues ranging from product design and commercialisation, to legal incorporation and valuation.
Cell C has collaborated with Google to provide free connectivity to The Hub for the Umbono project, while also donating the membership fees for the first four teams.
Cell C says its collaboration with Google is a step towards engaging potential innovators and building the mobile Internet ecosystem that will, in turn, contribute to the South African economy.
As part of the collaboration, the start-up teams will have access to Cell C product developers as mentors, and Cell C says it will, in turn, have access to the latest tools local developers would like to see brought to market.
Essence of innovation
"Cell C, over the last two years, has reinvented itself, and as a result, we have thought of ways in which we can capture what we're all about. Innovation is at the heart of Cell C, and certainly Umbono captures the essence of innovation, and we want to be part of that," said Cell C executive head of marketing Simon Camerer, at the Umbono launch.
"I think the outputs of these kinds of projects will ultimately benefit consumers in SA," said Camerer.
At the end of the incubation period, it is expected that the most successful teams will receive follow-on funding from the local venture capital community or overseas investors.
Google SA country manager Luke McKend says: "Without the support of forward-looking, innovative companies, it's impossible to do this kind of thing."
"We've seen some great applications to the Umbono programme, and we're delighted to welcome these particularly innovative start-ups onboard."
The start-ups
The first four start-ups are called LocalSort, Taxman Tim, SampleBoard and Starburst Games.
LocalSort is essentially an online concierge for guests staying at small guest houses or B&Bs, and is due to go live as soon as possible.
Taxman Tim is an online service for first-time tax filers. By essentially having a conversation with
“Tim” online, users can have their tax returns automatically generated for them. The project is due to be pre-launched in a limited free trial later this month.
The third start-up, Starburst Games, is currently developing an online cross-platform multiplayer role-playing game for mobile phones.
The last of the four start-ups, SampleBoard, is a digital mood board editor for professionals in creative industries such as interior design, communication design and event planning. SampleBoard is already live.
Big things
Google's VP of product and engineering for the EMEA region, Nelson Mattos, says: "Google has been operating in Africa for several years now, and what we have been doing on the continent has been evolving and changing over time.
"The Umbono programme is really part of the strategy to try to develop and grow the ecosystem in Africa."
Speaking of what will be coming next for the project, Mattos says: "First we need to continue to nurture those who have been enrolled in the programme, and obviously give them the support they need.
"We're also looking for how to scale it. There were a lot of applicants who had great ideas and while they didn't have global applicability, they could hugely benefit people in SA or Africa at large.
"We're looking for ways for them to engage with potential local partners who know this market better than we do, as Google, to find potential for these ideas to also flourish. We're also looking into ways of bringing disadvantaged kids into the project through internships with the Umbono companies.
"We are looking forward to seeing big things coming out of this programme," concludes Mattos.
The application process for Umbono is open year-round and is accessible at: www.google.co.za/umbono.
Related story:
Umbono turns ideas into companies
Share
