Startup Archives - HabeshaLink

Ethiopian Tourism Tech Startup Zagol Launches Travel Platform

Ethiopian tourism tech startup Zagol has officially launched its platform, enabling travelers to plan and book their trips, covering everything from flights and hotels to car rentals and tours.

Zagol which aims to provide the best travel experiences for both local and global customers, operates in seven languages, including four local ones. The startup states that its platform is connected to thousands of tour operators, local and international hotels, and ten major airlines.

“We have selected hotels with three stars and above. Customers can also reach us through our dedicated call center number, 8166,” Yared Nigusse, CEO of Zagol, told Shega.

The application, developed in-house over a two-year period by Zagol Systems Trading, marks a slight shift from Zagol’s previous service model, known for providing tour packages and visa services. Currently, the startup has a team of 15 employees.”

Zagol has integrated various payment methods, including Te…

Ethiopian Startup Lssya Unveils Online Psychotherapy Platform Promising Stigma-Free Healing

With the aim of enhancing accessibility to therapy and mental health support, a local startup has introduced an online psychotherapy platform called Lssya on December 1, 2023, that connects users with psychologists virtually.

Catering to a wide range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, relationship issues, trauma, and grief, psychotherapy on Lssya ( www.Lssya.app ) is conducted through secure chat messaging, voice messages, and videoconferencing.

“Therapy should be accessible to everyone. Regardless of physical location or circumstances, our platform enables you to access therapy sessions from anywhere in Ethiopia—breaking through the barriers of long commutes and wait times,” said Lidia Solomon, founder and CEO of Lssya.

Focusing on mild cases that can be resolved through communication without the involvement of medication, Lssya is fully automated and includes customer support. The platform operates in two languages: English …

Shega, JICA, MInT Launch In-Depth Research Publication on Addis Ababa’s Startup Ecosystem

Ethiopian media, data, and intelligence firm Shega in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Ministry of Innovation & Technology (MInT) has released the Addis Ababa Startup Ecosystem Report 2023, providing readers with a deep dive into the capitals’ startup landscape.

The research, which is the first of its kind in terms of depth and reach, surveyed over 300 startups in Addis Ababa, finding key insights into the state of funding, revenue, valuation and job creation of the startups.

“This report marks the first time that a study has been conducted solely on the startup ecosystem in Addis Ababa. Previously, numerous studies were dedicated to the Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) sector. However, this research establishes a new standard as it seeks to identify the innovative and disruptive businesses in Addis Ababa based on internationally accepted startup definitions,” said Michael Thomas, co-author of the repor…

Kenya’s Insurtech Startup Pula Reaches 120,000 Ethiopian Farmers, Totaling One Billion Birr in Coverage

Executives at the Kenyan Insurtech provider Pula have announced the insurance coverage of over 120,000 Ethiopian farmers against climate disasters, totaling one billion birr (18 million dollars) in insured sums.

“I am delighted to announce the launch of the Largest Crop Insurance in Ethiopia, with a total sum insured of ETB 1 Billion, protecting 122,000 teff and wheat farmers in the Amhara region,” wrote Dagmawi Haileyesus Pula Country Project Manager on LinkedIn.

Pula is a Kenya-based agricultural insurance and technology company specializing in innovative agricultural insurance and digital products designed to assist smallholder farmers. The first phase of its Area Yield Index (AYII) Insurance product for Ethiopian farmers was launched a few months ago.

The insurance product provided by Pula safeguards farmers’ investments, particularly in fertilizers, ensuring they have financial resources available to purchase essential agricultural supplies for the ne…

Ethiopia, Kenya-based Startup Kubik Closes $3.34 Million Seed Funding Round

Kubik, a startup based in Ethiopia and Kenya that specializes in converting plastic waste into building materials, has disclosed it has completed its seed funding round, raising $3.34 million.

In a Press release sent to Shega Kubik stated that it intends to use its new capital to increase production of building materials in Ethiopia before expanding to other countries in Africa.

“We are delighted to have achieved this significant milestone in our fundraising efforts,” said Kidus Asfaw, Co-Founder and CEO of Kubik. “This investment will fuel our growth and enable us to enhance our team as we continue to advance the development of affordable housing solutions across the African...

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Fintech Startup SantimPay, Berhan Bank Deploy mPOS Machines

Fintech startup SantimPay has partnered with Berhan Bank to deploy the first mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) machines accessible to the public in Ethiopia.

The duo is currently deploying 300 of these cost-effective card readers, with some of the first batch distributed among ride-hailing drivers in the capital.

The devices, priced at less than 800 birr, are supported by a merchant mPOS app that enables merchants to efficiently manage the device. These devices establish a connection with smartphones via Bluetooth and are capable of accepting payments from any local debit cards, as well as MasterCard and Visa.

“Users who prefer cashless transactions or lack sufficient cash can make purchases using their debt cards by simply entering their PIN code,” said Abenezer Bekele, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SantimPay.

Merchants…

Rising Ethiopian Fintech Startup SantimPay Processes 13 Million Br Daily

Payment solutions provider SantimPay Financial Technologies has revealed that its online payment gateway is processing an average of 13 million birr ($240,000) in transactions per day.

The fintech startup achieved these figures six months after the launch of its payment gateway, which facilitates online payments from local and international bank accounts, debit cards, and wallets.

In an interview with Shega, SantimPay disclosed that it has successfully integrated 4100 merchants into its platform.

According to Abenezer Bekele, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SantimPay, the success of the fintech company can be attributed to its complementary role rather than being seen as a...

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Local Startup MoyAts Introduces Platform to Streamline Recruitment for Businesses

Aiming to empower local businesses and bridge the technology gap in the labor market, local startup MoyAts has developed an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

The Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, which was launched two weeks ago, is centered on transforming the recruitment industry and offers a suite of tools designed to streamline the recruitment process.

“From aggregating local job boards and allowing the posting of jobs across multiple platforms to facilitating multiple stages of interviews through automatic emails and calendars, our new platform introduces many changes to the traditional recruitment process in Ethiopia,” said Amen Mohammed, founder and CEO of MoyAts.

“With...

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Kubik Triumphs at Global Startup Awards with Innovative Plastic Waste-to-Building Solution

Kubik, an environmental technology startup based in Kenya and Ethiopia, has been awarded Startup of the Year at the Global Startup Awards in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The company, which converts plastic waste into low-carbon, durable, and affordable building materials, emerged victorious among eight other finalists in its category, in a grand final event held yesterday, March 29, 2023.

Co-founded by Kidus Asfaw and Penda Marre, Kubik aims to remove millions of tons of plastic from the environment by transforming it into low-carbon buildings. These structures are not only more durable and affordable than conventional buildings, but they also generate less pollution.

In 2022, Kubik signed a...

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Medtech Startup Medstore Relaunches Platform

Medstore Trading Plc, a startup that works in the healthcare sector, has announced the relaunch of its digital platform, Medstore.et. The platform is a one-stop digital shop for buying and selling medical equipment, publishing and subscribing to medical equipment tenders, and connecting medical equipment manufacturers and distributors.

The Medstore.et platform, which was launched at the Grand Eliana Hotel on March 9, 2023, alongside the 1st Digital Disruption in Healthcare Forum, enables hospitals and clinics to easily find and buy the medical equipment they need online and publish their tenders and EOIs to a curated and segmented audience.

Chernet Mequanent, Medstore founder and CEO, who...

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