Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      The satellite broadband operators taking on Starlink

      9 July 2025

      Yaccarino out: Musk’s handpicked CEO quits X suddenly

      9 July 2025

      AI gold rush propels Nvidia to record $4-trillion market cap

      9 July 2025

      Price hike for .za domains

      9 July 2025

      China’s Temu ups ante with South African warehouse launch

      9 July 2025
    • World

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025

      Jony Ive’s first AI gadget could be … a pen

      30 June 2025

      Bumper orders for Xiaomi’s YU7 SUV heighten threat to Tesla

      27 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on data governance in hybrid cloud environments

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » SA start-up joins Silicon Valley accelerator

    SA start-up joins Silicon Valley accelerator

    By Editor3 August 2015
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    SweepSouth CEO Aisha Pandor, left, pictured with the start-up's chief technology officer, Alen Ribic
    SweepSouth CEO Aisha Pandor, left, pictured with the start-up’s chief technology officer, Alen Ribic

    A technology-powered South African home cleaning start-up, SweepSouth, has become the first local company to be selected by 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund and start-up accelerator.

    It’s the first time a South African company has been selected into the accelerator programme, with only a handful of African companies being chosen previously, 500 Startups said in a statement on Monday.

    “Of thousands of applicants for each batch, only 2% are successful, and the prestigious and effective four-month accelerator programme also comes with US$125 000 in funding,” it said.

    500 Startups is led by Silicon Valley veteran Dave McClure, who has consulted to Microsoft, Intel and other technology companies. He is also a former marketing director at PayPal.

    The company has invested in a thousand start-ups in the past five years, including TaskRabbit, Twilio and Gyft.

    SweepSouth was launched in 2014 and creates opportunities for cleaners in South Africa to find work. It said it has completed thousands of bookings in homes and offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. It uses an “advanced matching and rating algorithm” to do this.

    The start-up has already attracted a number of angel investments, led by Gyft founder Vinny Lingham and Llew Claasen’s Newtown Partners, with Pule Taukobong’s Africa Angels Network and Polo Leteka Radebe’s Identity Development Fund, it said.

    “The focus of the next four months is clear – achieve exponential growth and present our achievements in front of some of the top investors and media houses in the world, said SweepSouth CEO Aisha Pandor in a statement.

    “SweepSouth’s acceptance into 500 Startups validates the quality and global recognition African start-ups are starting to receive and hopefully motivates more to follow,” added Silicon Cape chairman Dan Guasco.

    “While there have been a number of substantial exits to global companies like Visa, Garmin, Groupon, Verisign, General Electric, First Data, and WPP, there has been little recognition or support for early-stage start-ups.”  — © 2015 NewsCentral Media



    500 Startups Aisha Pandor Dan Guasco Dave McClure Gyft Silicon Cape SweepSouth TaskRabbit Twilio Vinny Lingham
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleBackspace: ‘Substandard’
    Next Article Gov’t short-changing ICT sector: Mophatlane

    Related Posts

    Local start-up Moodswing bets on music messaging as next big thing

    2 November 2023

    Eskom CEO presses for urgency in switch to electric cars

    2 December 2022

    SweepSouth raises R200-million in new funding round

    26 September 2022
    Company News

    Samsung unfolds the future with thinnest, lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet

    9 July 2025

    Huawei supercharges South African SMEs with over 20 new eKit products

    9 July 2025

    Webtonic cracks the talent code with AWS-powered TonicHub

    9 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.