Hisa, the Kenyan mobile investment platform, is one of the five startups that have made it to the final stage of the MEST Africa challenge. The pan-African pitch competition opened applications in July this year for pre-seed and seed-stage technology start-ups in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa The ultimate prize for the winner will be $50,000.
Hisa app lets interested individuals invest in the Kenya and US Stock markets from the comfort of their homes. In addition to allowing users to invest in U.S. stocks and ETFs, Hisa App enables users to get real-time market updates, follow market discussions, read business and finance news, and listen to hundreds of podcasts.
The other startups that have made it to the final stage are
- Sproutly (Nigeria)
- Kweli (Senegal)
- Swoove (Ghana)
- Desert Green Africa (South Africa)
Speaking on the selection of the top 5 start-ups, the Director of Portfolio at MEST Africa, Melissa Nsiah said, “It hasn’t been an easy process. Mostly because, this year, we saw so many valid business models and met some incredible founders with huge visions that align very closely with ours. But in the final analysis we were able to zero in on the cream of the crop to select the top 5 companies from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and South Africa in alignment with this year’s selection criteria. Our team is eager to work closely with each of the 5 finalists in preparation towards the final competition day in December.”
The selected finalists will take part in the Demo Day and Final Pitch competition to be held in Accra Ghana in December. The winning startup will get investment capital of up to $50,000 as well as access to a global network of resources and partners.
