Kigali: National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa has unveiled the 10 finalists for its second annual Triple-Double Accelerator Demo Day.
According to African Press Organization, these finalists will present their innovative products to a panel of international industry leaders at Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, December 5.
NBA Africa also revealed that CMU-Africa has become an Official Partner of the program. This initiative is designed for early-stage African startup companies developing solutions in the sport and creative industries. CMU-Africa stands out as the only U.S. research university offering master’s degrees with full-time faculty and operations based in Africa.
ServiceNow, an AI platform for business transformation, and ALX Ventures, a leading technology incubator, are also Official Partners of the NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator. The program aims to provide African tech leaders with the skills and tools necessary to launch and scale their startups.
The 10 startups were selected from over 700 applications, with the final five winners set to receive financial support and the chance to join CMU-Africa’s 12-month Business Incubation Program. This program is part of its Innovation Hub, which helps transform proof-of-concept prototypes and preliminary market assessments into scalable, market-ready products and services.
The startups competing for the prize-winning spots include Athlon Technology from Egypt, Atsur from Nigeria, CoLab from South Africa, Contestify from Nigeria, Fitclan from Egypt, Novate from Morocco, ProPath Sports from Kenya, Reborn from Morocco, Safia Health from Kenya, and SongDis from Nigeria. Each of these startups brings unique solutions to the table, ranging from video analysis for sports teams to digital distribution services for African independent artists.
NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi highlighted the quality of this year’s applications, emphasizing the talent and creativity among Africa’s young entrepreneurs. The initiative underscores the significant role that the sport and creative industries play in the continent’s development.
Last year’s inaugural edition saw four prize-winning companies – Festival Coins, Salubata, HustleSasa, and UBR VR – awarded financial support and mentorship, setting a strong precedent for this year’s hopefuls.