The Irish Tech Challenge South Africa 2025 has selected seven winners. According to a statement, the high-growth tech companies will receive up to €10 000 (R198 000) in grant funding, a pre-acceleration programme and a fully-funded business immersion week in Dublin, Ireland.
The challenge − a partnership between the Embassy of Ireland in SA, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dogpatch Labs, and the Technology Innovation Agency − is run by Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in its drive to support South African tech-enabled start-ups with global potential.
This year's programme saw over 200 high-potential companies enter the initial selection phase. A shortlist of 70 was chosen, then narrowed down to 14 finalists. The 14 companies underwent intensive virtual interviews and a final pitching session to a panel of industry experts from SA and Ireland.
Each of the seven enterprises will receive focused mentoring in a pre-acceleration bootcamp to prepare them for a subsequent week-long immersion programme with Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, Ireland.
The immersion week will provide them with direct access to Ireland's tech ecosystem, including networking opportunities with investors, potential partners and Irish state agencies that support high-growth African start-ups.
The following seven companies emerged as the winners of this year’s challenge:
Navwork Technologies:Empowers individuals with visual impairments by creating intelligent assistive solutions that transform everyday mobility into a safe, seamless and empowering experience.
Covo:An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered marketing technology company building the infrastructure for Africa’s creator economy.
What The Foresight:Empowers organisations to uncover the 25 key attributes that drive future success by assessing firms’ digital readiness.
Premier Agric: Empowers farmers and enhances productivity through innovative technology and eco-friendly practices.
Vera: A secure communication and verification platform built to eliminate fraud and establish trust in digital business interactions.
Lilly Loompa: Creates homeware made by upcycling waste material. All materials are sourced from waste and reimagined as purposeful products.
MindCiti Futures: Helps organisations and individuals grow through AI-guided learning, soft-skills mastery and smart job matching.
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