10 Apr Cape Town’s Startup Stars: Inside Innovation City’s Top 10 Contenders for 2025

Every April, a certain energy builds inside Innovation City Cape Town. It’s more than anticipation; it’s ambition, optimism, and just the right amount of nerves. Why? Because the annual Startup of the Year competition is reaching its crescendo. And in a city known for cultivating Africa’s brightest founders, this moment matters.

Since its launch in 2022, Innovation City’s Startup of the Year competition has become more than just a title. It’s a platform for breakout companies to move from hidden gem to household name. Each year, ten high-growth startups are selected from across South Africa and invited to compete in front of a panel of investors, industry leaders, and ecosystem enablers.

And the impact? It’s tangible.

The very first winner, Kena Health, used their 2022 win as a springboard to scale. According to the team, the recognition opened up crucial conversations with investors and partners, eventually leading to funding and a broader platform. Today, they’ve delivered over 50,000 consultations and count major brands like Old Mutual and Shoprite as partners.

In 2023, Wamly, a local leader in one-way video interview tech, took the crown. Since then, they’ve tripled their revenue, doubled their staff, and are now prepping for international expansion. The validation they gained from winning wasn’t just external; it was a morale boost that kept the team grounded and focused on scaling the right way.

And just last year, AI Diagnostics walked away with the title for their AI-powered digital stethoscope that’s changing the game in early TB detection. The team reflects that Innovation City didn’t just provide a trophy, it helped sharpen their product, their positioning, and their understanding of what it takes to grow in a real-world, in-person innovation community.

This year, the spotlight fell on ten standout startups selected for their bold ideas, solid traction, and clear potential to scale. While the process wasn’t lengthy, it was sharply focused, designed to surface the ventures making real moves, not just noise. These finalists reflect the current pulse of South African innovation: fast-moving, impact-driven, and globally aware.

From AI to fintech, HR tech to healthtech, the finalists are tackling high-impact problems with smart, scalable solutions. Callbi Speech Analytics provides AI-powered transcription and analytics software for contact centres, trained specifically on South African languages and dialects. It enables companies to analyse local conversations accurately, at a fraction of the cost of global alternatives. Botlhale AI is breaking language barriers in digital spaces with tools that enable real-time transcription, call analysis, and multilingual support in African languages. With solutions like Vela for call centres and Bua for customer support, Botlhale AI is building a future where language is no longer a barrier to access, service, or opportunity across the continent.

On the financial front, Fynbos Inc ffers an intuitive investment platform built for young professionals, providing access to top-tier funds with no platform or advisory fees, removing barriers to smart, long-term money growth, while The LeaseSurance Agent

is modernising rental real estate by replacing traditional security deposits with lease insurance. Their data-driven platform gives landlords and operators better control over risk while unlocking greater income potential across portfolios.

Jem HR is a WhatsApp-based HR and benefits platform built for deskless workers. It empowers thousands with access to savings tools, fair finance, and educational resources—while helping employers manage, reach, and retain their workforce more effectively. JobJack connects businesses with entry-level talent through an end-to-end digital hiring platform. From job posts to smart screening, assessments, and verifications, it simplifies and speeds up the recruitment process, making it easier for companies to hire, and for job seekers to access opportunities.

Other finalists are leaning into tech for creators and entrepreneurs. Global Fitness Holdings (via its Sudor platform ) empowers fitness and wellness creators to launch their own branded apps, complete with video, live streaming, chat, and payments, without writing a single line of code. Lawyered Up is an AI-powered contract lifecycle management platform that helps businesses automate legal workflows, from contract creation and tracking to compliance, making legal operations faster, smarter, and more efficient.

Flood and Sensify Africa round out the list, tackling sustainability and data transparency in bold new ways. Flood delivers a fully engaged discovery and commercial platform designed for large audience owners; think telcos, challenger banks, and radio stations, enabling them to monetise and activate their communities more effectively, while Sensify Africa is modernising the LPG industry with its Gatekeeper System, a secure ‘lock-and-key’ solution that uses tamper-proof valves, RFID tech, and cloud software to eliminate cylinder theft and piracy, optimize operations, and ensure customer safety and loyalty.

All eyes now turn to 23 April, when the Top 10 will pitch live at Innovation City Cape Town. They’ll face a panel of respected judges: Catherine Young (Grindstone), Renier Kriel (Open Letter), Chipo Mushwana (Nedbank), and Roger Norton (OkHi Smart Addressing). It’s a high-stakes moment! Some are pitching for partnerships, others for visibility, but all are pitching to be remembered.

The true celebration takes place the following night, 24 April, at Awards Night. It’s more than a prize-giving; it’s a convergence of Cape Town’s thriving tech ecosystem, and an evening that has become a symbol of recognition, momentum, and belief.

One startup will walk away with the title. But all ten are already shaping the future in their own way, building products with purpose, growing with intention, and proving that South African innovation is ready for the global stage.

Good luck to all!