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88mph, Samsung Partners to Support Startups(AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) 88mph and Samsung Electronics Africa have entered into a partnership to provide three lucky startups with a possible placement on the "Built For Africa App store", and a chance to be pre-loaded on smartphones across Africa. Samsung will also add marketing muscle to each startup to build and drive consumer awareness. "88mph is excited to partner with Samsung, as a sourcing filter for great products to their platform," says Kresten Buch, Founder and MD of 88mph. "As an early-stage investor, it's important to create an infrastructure around the startups that can increase their chances of making it big. Teaming up with other companies is part of 88mph's goal that adds substantial value to startups beyond investment." In addition to the startups being given a premium spot on the "Built for Africa store", the partnership also entails potential co-branding pushes, all aimed at growing and driving locally relevant content and services for Africa. "We are focused on delivering high quality, environment-specific mobile products to our consumers across Africa, backed by locally developed and relevant content," says Thabiet Allie, Head of Content and Services for Samsung Electronics Africa. With Samsung's extensive distribution network across Africa, this partnership is the perfect springboard for startups that have a product specifically tailored for African consumers, and want to reach consumers across multiple territories in Africa. "With this partnership, we will be able to attract startups with more mature products or international startups looking to target emerging markets. It's an extremely rare opportunity to be able to reach millions of your target users in such a short period of time. "Since Samsung will market its brand alongside the startups' adds credibility to this initiative" says Sylvia Brune, Head of Partnerships at 88mph. Product packages that consider the physical and infrastructural demands of Africa, will receive special focus alongside sectors that Samsung is particularly interested including: education, entertainment, & health among others. To be eligible for this opportunity, startups should apply to 88mph before the 1st of August 2013 via their website. Peter Nalika Peter generates technical content for CIO East Africa and the International Data Group News Service, he also contributes to PC World and Computer World. Peter is classically trained in computing and information management, and he is currently pursing an MBA program in Management Information Systems at the University of Nairobi, @peternalika Copyright CIO East Africa. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |