The first-ever NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator Demo Day has crowned four African startups as champions.
The event, held in New York City at the NBA headquarters, saw four standout companies—Festival Coins, Salubata, HustleSasa, and UBR VR—win financial awards and mentorship opportunities to help scale their businesses.
Top Startups Rise from Over 700 Applicants
The NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator, launched in April 2024, aims to fuel growth for African startups operating in sports and creative industries.
By providing capital, mentorship, and connections, the initiative supports early-stage companies that focus on event management, AI, digital marketing, and youth development.
Selected from more than 700 early-stage startups, 10 finalists pitched their innovative solutions to a panel of industry leaders, including NBA executives and renowned entrepreneurs.
The startups pitched a range of technologies aimed at transforming event management, virtual reality, and sustainability efforts in Africa.
Meet the Winners
The first-place winner, Festival Coins (Nigeria), secured a $50,000 prize for its no-code event registration and ticketing platform, Tix Africa.
NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, Maged Farrag (UBR VR), Peng Chen (HustleSasa), Yewande Akinse (Salubata), Folayemi Agusto (Festival Coins) and NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi (Image Credit: NBA Africa)
“This win means so much to us,” said CEO and co-founder Folayem Agosto, per ESSENCE. “We wouldn’t be here without the tireless work of my team—my ‘Tixies’. With this support, we’re going to be able to do so much more… I’m so excited for what’s to come.”
Salubata, another Nigerian company focused on creating modular shoes from plastic waste, took home second place and $40,000 for their contribution to sustainable fashion.
Kenya’s HustleSasa, a platform enabling businesses to manage live events and sales, earned third place and $30,000. Finally, Egypt’s UBR VR, which offers immersive virtual reality experiences, rounded out the top four, winning $20,000.
The other six finalists each received a $10,000 prize.
Feature Image Credit: Tix Africa
