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Supporting innovative business start-ups in South Africa

                                                          

31 August 2018

Esri South Africa supports technology-focused emerging businesses looking to create innovative software products using its leading GIS platform, ArcGIS. If your company has no more than five employees, was founded less than three years ago, and generates less than R1-million per annum, you may just qualify for this exciting business acceleration programme.

The company’s three-year start-up programme is aimed at up-and-coming entrepreneurs looking to incorporate mapping and location analytics into their original product offerings. Candidates need to be able to detail their product concept and its market fit, and in return Esri South Africa will facilitate increased adoption of the solution. Building an inventive software product using ArcGIS is key for entry to the programme, and the opportunity is not available to start-ups offering consulting services.

Esri’s ArcGIS is a powerful open and interoperable platform used by software developers wanting to build new geospatial applications or enhance existing ones. The platform provides developers with an array of geospatial software components providing fertile ground for the development of innovative products. Its functionality incorporates data management, mapping, 3D visualisation, and spatial analysis.

Successful applicants to Esri South Africa’s start-up programme will receive access to Esri online services, software, training, support, and co-marketing opportunities. Taking advantage of this opportunity will enable budding entrepreneurs to utilise ArcGIS as a platform for innovation while consolidating their emerging businesses.

Current participants in Esri South Africa’s start-up programme include the following organisations:

  • Swift Geospatial, a provider of geospatial solutions derived from data captured by unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites to enhance organisational decision-making.
  • Collocation whose product helps people looking for a new home to consider all the associated parameters such as transport routes and proximity to shopping centres before making a decision that meets their needs.
  • Forge New Frontiers, developers of a mapping-based application which supplies outdoor enthusiasts with highly detailed and accurate maps for hiking, mountain biking and trail running.
  • A.P. Scientific Services which aims to develop innovative and sustainable solutions using data science and geospatial analyses to allow people, animals and ecosystems to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

If you have an inventive idea which you would like to consolidate, why not apply to join Esri South Africa’s start-up programme.