Innovation City Cape Town

🚛 E-Commerce Award – Meet the Nominees 🏆 As online retail continues to reshape how we live, work, and shop, Innovation City is proud to introduce a brand-new category at this year’s Awards Night 2025: the E-Commerce Award! This award recognises a company that’s not just thriving in the digital marketplace,  but redefining it!  From seamless customer experiences to bold innovation and standout growth, these companies are setting the bar for what e-commerce in South Africa (and beyond) should look like. 👏 Our inaugural nominees are: 🌟 Dineplan For transforming the way South Africans discover, book, and manage restaurant experiences, building a platform that’s as elegant as it is effective. 🌟 Sweepsouth A pioneer in on-demand home services, SweepSouth continues to lead with purpose, convenience, and scale in the online services space. These companies are changing the game. We’ll be celebrating their impact on 24 April at Innovation City’s prestigious annual Awards Night. #ECommerceAward2025 #InnovationCity

💼 VC of the Year - Honouring the Capital Behind the Growth 🏆 On 24 April, at Innovation City’s exclusive Awards Night, we recognise the venture capital firms shaping South Africa’s innovation economy, not just through funding, but through mentorship, strategic guidance, and long-term commitment to founders. The VC of the Year award celebrates a firm that has made a measurable impact on the startup ecosystem by backing bold ideas, identifying high-potential ventures, and supporting their journey from traction to scale. 👏 The nominees for VC of the Year 2025 are: 🌟 Ventures 54 🌟 Knife Capital 🌟 Basecapital.io These firms represent the backbone of innovation, helping visionary founders turn ambition into action. 🏆 Winner announced on 24 April at our annual prestigious Awards Night. #VCOfTheYear2025 #InnovationCity

🙌 Thank you, York Zucchi, for an unforgettable session at Innovation City Cape Town! In his “How to Find Clients & Scale Your Business” masterclass, York shared wisdom from working with entrepreneurs in 455 cities across 27 countries and reminded us that sometimes, the best strategies start with imperfection, curiosity, and human connection. Top Takeaways: ✨ Embrace Imperfection: Authentic, unpolished communication often performs better than slick marketing. 📣 Share Your Work: Talk about what you’re building, it's how collaborators and ambassadors find you. 🔁 Ask for Feedback: Don’t assume your message is working. Test it with people outside your echo chamber. 📧 Upgrade Your Email Signature: It’s your most overlooked marketing tool. 📈 Know Your Stage: Every part of the startup lifecycle requires a different mindset and approach. 🚫 Be Wary of Early Investors: Flexibility can be more valuable than funding in your early days. 🤝 Stay Human: People do business with people—so keep it personal. From candid stories of failure to practical advice, York brought humour, heart, and hard-won insight. Thank you to everyone who joined, asked questions, and contributed to a night of real connection. As York requested: Let’s keep the conversations going, starting in the comments below! 😊 #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #InnovationCity

🚀 Meet the Top 10 Startups of 2025! Every April, the energy inside Innovation City Cape Town hits a different level , and this year is no exception. Our Startup of the Year competition spotlights the best startups, solving real problems with bold, scalable solutions. Our past winners have used our platform to unlock partnerships, funding, and growth, and now it’s time to meet the 2025 contenders! From AI to HRtech, fintech to sustainability, this year's finalists are building the future of South African innovation. Read more about them below! 👇 🎤 Come watch them pitch LIVE on 23 April at Innovation City: https://lnkd.in/dqmpk8rd 🏆 Winner revealed at Awards Night on 24 April (invite-only) #StartupOfTheYear2025 #InnovationCity #CapeTownStartups #TechInAfrica #Top10Startups

🚀 Entrepreneur of the Year – Meet the Visionaries 🏆 The Entrepreneur of the Year award celebrates a South African founder who exemplifies bold leadership, unwavering resilience, and an unshakable commitment to the growth of their venture and the broader startup ecosystem. 👏 We’re proud to announce this year’s nominees: 🌟 Kimberley Taylor Founder & CEO of Loop, Kimberly has revolutionised logistics with a tech-first approach to fleet management. Her leadership continues to drive growth in a traditionally underserved sector, proving what’s possible when innovation meets grit. 🌟 Melvyn Lubega Co-founder of Go1 and a leading voice in edtech, Melvyn has scaled one of Africa’s most successful startups globally while actively supporting the local ecosystem through mentorship, investment, and advocacy for inclusive innovation. 🌟 Louis Buys As founder of The Delta, Louis has built a venture ecosystem that not only launches startups but accelerates innovation at scale. His work bridges corporate and startup worlds, helping turn ideas into impactful, investable ventures. These founders are building more than companies; they’re building the future. 🏆 Winner announced 24 April at Innovation City’s annual Awards Night. #EntrepreneurOfTheYear2025  #InnovationCity 

🏅 Innovation City Honorary Award 2025  – Nominees 🌟 On 24 April, at our exclusive Awards Night, we will honour trailblazers who have left an indelible mark on the world of innovation and technology. The Innovation City Honorary Award is a prestigious recognition awarded to individuals whose creativity, ingenuity, and impact have redefined what’s possible - pushing boundaries and inspiring future generations. 👏 We are proud to announce this year’s Honorary Award nominees: 🌟 Pieter de Villiers Co-founder and CEO of Clickatell, Pieter is a pioneer in mobile messaging and digital commerce. His leadership has helped shape the global fintech landscape while staying deeply connected to African innovation and entrepreneurial development. 🌟 Koos Bekker A media and tech visionary, Koos transformed Naspers Limited into a global internet powerhouse through strategic investments and bold thinking. His influence on technology, media, and business across emerging markets is unmatched. These individuals exemplify what it means to lead with vision and purpose in a rapidly evolving world. 🏆 Let’s celebrate those who continue to shape the future! #HonoraryAward2025 #InnovationCity #TechLeaders #Visionaries #Changemakers #InnovationTrailblazers

🚀 The Top 10 SA Startups for 2025 are here! Innovation City's Startup of the Year 2025 finalists have just been announced — and this year’s lineup is 🔥 These ten startups are tackling big problems with bold solutions: 🧠 Botlhale AI 🗣️ Callbi Speech Analytics 🌧️ Flood 💰 Fynbos Money 💪 Sudor Apps 🎯 Jem 📲 JOBJACK 📄 Lawyered Up LLC Powered by Vega 🌍 Sensify ✨ LeaseSurance Who will take the title? 🎤 Live pitch event: 23 April - Come and watch them live in action! https://lnkd.in/dqmpk8rd 🏆 Winner revealed: 24 April at Awards Night Meet the startups: https://lnkd.in/dVgvynCV #StartupOfTheYear2025 #Top10Startups #InnovationCity

Announcing Innovation City’s Cape Town Impact Award – Meet the Nominees! 🏆 This prestigious award honours an organisation, initiative, or individual making meaningful change in the Western Cape – from job creation and skills development to inclusive innovation and community upliftment. The Cape Town Impact Award will be presented to the winner on 24 April at our highly anticipated and exclusive Awards Night. 👏 The nominees are: 🌟 Amazon For driving large-scale job creation, investing in infrastructure, and supporting digital skills development, Amazon continues to play a major role in shaping Cape Town’s economic future. 🌟LaunchLab Recognised for empowering local entrepreneurs through world-class acceleration, mentorship, and support, LaunchLab is a consistent force for innovation-led growth in the region. 🌟 RLabs *Reconstructed Living Lab With deep community roots, RLabs has trained and empowered thousands of youth through social innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology, turning hope into tangible impact. 🌟 UVU Africa A champion of inclusive tech ecosystems, UVU Africa expands access to digital innovation and entrepreneurship across underserved communities, enabling a more equitable Cape Town. These nominees are not just making waves, they’re building a stronger, more sustainable Western Cape for all. 🏆 Winner announced 24 April. Join us to celebrate those who are shaping the future, today! #CapeTownImpactAward2025 #StartupOfTheYear2025 #InnovationCity

What does it really take for a South African biotech start-up to go global and thrive? At a recent Innovation City masterclass, Diego Castillo, Ph.D., co-founder of Biomine Health, unpacked the reality of scaling a local biotech company onto the world stage through Techstars London. 📢 Spoiler: it’s not about waiting until you’re “ready.” With Techstars doubling down on Africa, the door is wide open. And founders like Castillo are proving biotech isn’t just growing, it’s leaping. Read more below! #Biotech #Techstars #CapeTownInnovation #StartupGrowth #InnovationCity

🏆 Startup of the Year 2025 – Prize Reveal! 🚀 Entries are now closed, and the spotlight is on what’s at stake for this year’s standout startup. The winner of Innovation City’s Startup of the Year 2025 will receive a prize package valued at over R370,000, designed to supercharge their growth journey – and it all starts with: 🏢 A one-year Innovation City Cape Town membership, valued at R200,000 – granting full access to Cape Town’s premier tech ecosystem, events, investor network, and scale-up support. Thanks to our incredible partners, the winning founder also receives: 🎨 A UX & UI Design Sprint from Now Boarding Digital, worth R140,000, to take their product experience to world-class levels. 🧠 6x founder coaching sessions with PG Tops, focused on clarity, leadership, and growth PLUS a customised accountability framework using EOS methodology + Monday.com system implementation and a 1-year subscription, valued at R30,000, to help scale with structure. 📈 Exclusive benchmark data and publicity from The Open Letter, helping them see exactly where they stand in the ecosystem. ✨ Massive thank you to our prize sponsors! #InnovationCity #StartupOfTheYear2025