Motorcycle cleaning startup PikiWash has been named the winner of the Rwanda round of the Seedstars World competition, earning the chance to represent the country at the global final and pitch for up to US$1 million in equity investment.
Global early-stage startups competition Seedstars World has been hosting an increased number of local events across Africa this year, and has already picked winners in Mozambique, Tunisia, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon.
The Rwanda took place last Friday at the kLab hub in Kigali, with 11 selected startups presenting their ideas in front of the local jury panel. PikiWash, which has developed an eco-friendly, time-saving washing solution for motorcycles, was chosen as the overall winner.
PikiWash will now participate in the Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in April of next year, where it will take part in a week-long training programme with the opportunity to meet the other 75 winners as well as investors and mentors from around the world.
The final day of the event will be dedicated to pitching in front of an audience of 1,000 attendees, with the possibility of winning up to the US$1 million equity investment and other prizes.
Umbrella, a digital platform that provides access to crucial information about SRH to young women came second, and HelloJob, a web app that links technical job seekers and job givers, claimed the last spot in the top three.
The other startups invited to pitch were BAG Innovation, Imagine We, AgriGo, Ongera, Academia, Vitcard, Fiatope Digital Solutions, and Made In Rwanda Online.
