1. Over Six Startups Attend National Event
Tanzania held its Week of Education, Skills, and Innovation in the city of Tanga from May 25th to 31st. It involved research presentations and exhibitions of educational technology (edtech), as well as other innovative solutions for a variety of sectors.
One standout was Seede. The Dar-based startup demonstrated the potential of virtual reality (VR) in Tanzania's education system. VR provides immersive experiences that make learning more fun and help students understand complex topics better. Seede is particularly helpful for subjects where real-life practice might be risky or expensive, such as medical training or scientific experiments.
The event also featured startups backed by UNDP’s Funguo Innovation Programme.
For example, Livy Africa showcased its smart farming tools, and Simplitech demonstrated its user-friendly virtual fiscal device for businesses. Plant Biodefenders and EcoAct showed their environmentally friendly pest control and waste management innovations, respectively. Edtech startups UjuziNet (online learning software) and ChemChemii (audio learning hardware + software) also participated.
Well-known universities like UDSM and UDOM had a major presence, with MUHAS researchers getting recognition for their conference papers. UNDP Tanzania even partnered with the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) to promote the country’s new EU-funded Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP).
EEAP aims to:
Use charcoal and firewood for cooking and heating in a smarter way
Enusre usage of less energy in industries and public utilities that supply electricity (TANESCO) and water (i.e., DUWASA).
Reduce energy consumption in the transportation sector.
Make buildings more efficient in their energy use.
Collaboration between government agencies, international organizations, and local education institutions shows a strong commitment to supporting grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship in Tanzania.
2. Startup Founders Meet in Dar es Salaam
On June 1, the Founders Tanzania (FTz) community hosted its second quarterly meetup of 2024. The event emphasized the importance of collaboration in building successful companies.
It featured a panel discussion on navigating partnerships, where experienced entrepreneurs shared insights on establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial business relationships.
According to Hosiana Bryson, Secretary of the Founders Fund Committee, one key takeaway was the importance of allowing qualified individuals to lead startups in order to drive growth.
Attendees also had the opportunity to network with fellow founders, exchange ideas, and learn about resources available to the community.
Since its inception, FTz has grown from 18 entrepreneurs to over 280 as of March 2024. The community has promotes a culture of sharing, with members having sent over 2,000 opportunities since February 2021.
Founders Tanzania helps its members to overcome challenges like exclusion and ignorance.
3. Startup Leaders Explore Opportunities in South Korea's Tech Hub
A delegation of Tanzanian startup leaders, including representatives from the Tanzania Startup Association (TSA), Niajiri Platform, Magilatech Global, Jamii Media, Ramani, and the Zanzibar Startup Association (ZSA), recently visited Pangyo Technovalley in South Korea.
This visit—part of a larger presidential delegation led by President Samia—aims to strengthen ties between Tanzania and South Korea's tech ecosystems. It presents a valuable opportunity for Tanzanian startups to learn from Korea's technological advancements, explore potential collaborations, and attract investment.
The visit comes at a time of rapid growth for our startup scene, which saw a 25.3% expansion between 2022 and 2023. It created over 112,000 jobs in 2023 alone, according to the TSA.
By number of startups, Tanzania's top markets are software-as-a-service (19.9%), agri-tech (19.2%), e-commerce (10.2%), health technology (9.2%), and fintech (8.8%).
4. Beem and Sarafu Join Visa's Accelerator Program
On May 30, Visa revealed that two fast-growing Tanzanian companies have been chosen to participate in the second cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator.
This year, the program is designed to support 22 promising African startups. It will provide mentorship, resources, and potential funding opportunities to help them scale their businesses.
Beem (a cloud communications platform) enables enterprises to interact with customers through various channels like SMS, WhatsApp, and social media. It operates in over 20 African countries.
Sarafu (a digital commerce platform) empowers retail shops with inventory management, credit building, and growth tools. It currently only operates in Dar es Salaam, where it serves more than 12,000 customers.
Both startups will benefit from Visa's expertise, resources, and network. This could help them expand their reach across the continent.
5. Tanzanian Startups to Receive German Investment
DeveloPPP Ventures—funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)—is offering Tanzanian startups an opportunity to secure funding and scale their ventures.
The program is currently accepting applications from startups in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa until June 30th.
To further assist applicants, an information session hosted by Ennovate Ventures was held in Dar on May 31st.
Key criteria for selection include:
Innovation and scalability of the business model.
Demonstrated management expertise.
Financial sustainability with a break-even point (total cost = total revenue) within three years.
Measurable impact on local communities.
Selected startups can receive up to 100,000 euros in funding, along with mentorship and support from local experts.