It’s no secret that the startup culture in Cape Town is developing rapidly. In recent years, the city has been positioning itself as the country’s ICT and innovation hub, and is home to the Silicon Cape Initiative – a community of tech entrepreneurs, startups and incubators.
However, one area that the city is still lagging behind in is an accessible network and database of valuable startup resources.
New website, Mapped in Cape Town, provides a database of startups, local small businesses and service providers on the platform, allowing them to discover each other. The aim is to enable startups to make connections and grow the ecosystem.
According the website’s founder, Rowan Polovin, Mapped in Cape Town is not just a space for startups to meet others but it also makes it easier for startups to meet potential investors by creating a database of investors.
A close-up of the startup ecosystem
displayed on the Mapped in CT website.
Getting mapped
The website layout works like a map but instead of pinpointing hospitals, schools and roads, it shows the locations of startup resources like incubators, co-working spaces and tax or legal service providers, and even Wi-Fi hotspots. The app also allows users to see where other startups in similar fields are located, giving them opportunities to hook up with potential partners, as well as investors.
How to sign up
For now, listings on the website are free. Companies interested in being ‘mapped’ create a profile with a brief description of services including their company details and the category their company falls under.
Already their are 107 startup companies registered, along with seven investor groups and 12 service providers.
Currently the website only covers Cape Town, but there are plans to launch a Johannesburg version by the end of this year.
