Africa’s leading mobile app provider wows US mentors with quick global traction

Snapplify, the year-old mobile application provider from Cape Town, has taken first place in the fourth annual Cape Town Entrepreneur Competition (CTEC), staged at the recent LaunchCapeTown event in the Mother City.

In a snap
Snapplify provides instant ‘applification’ of publishers’ back and forward catalogues – otherwise known as content digitisation for the iPad and Android tablet platforms – at no upfront cost and with no prior knowledge of digital platforms.

The online tool further provides ready-made distribution and monetisation of ‘applified’ content via the Apple and Android app stores. It has won plaudits for its ease of use, customisability, feature richness, stability and low network traffic throughput. As it is pdf-based, it also helps non-English publishers to overcome compatibility issues with dominant e-book standards like EPUB.

Already the continent’s leading provider of tablet applications, Snapplify has multiple global publishing clients, including Ka Boom Studios, Kotobarabia, iMaverick, New Holland Publishing SA and Random House Struik. More signings are in the works as the company returns from a global tour exhibiting at the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs, signing regional channel distribution deals and setting up an operation in London.

CTEC and LaunchCapeTown
LaunchCapeTown brings together start-ups, established technology players and early-stage investors in a five-day event, offering entrepreneurs an invaluable opportunity to network, receive mentoring, go up against peers and perhaps even get expert endorsement.

Ranging from 23 to 27 March, the CTEC competition at this year’s event took finalists from ‘mentor camps’ through a gruelling programme in which they pitched their business ideas to mentors and judges, received more mentoring, re-pitched and finally heard judgment on their efforts.

Wesley Lynch, CEO of Snapplify, says the quality of entries was praised, while Snapplify was singled out for offering value beyond the South African context and the speed with which it gained traction for its idea.

Lynch adds that the programme was “one of the most intense experiences” he has ever had. “Every aspect of the pitch is picked to pieces. But the international judges and mentors were incredibly generous and sincere with their help. It has been a real opportunity to meet people, open doors and networks in Europe and North America, and perhaps also in other emerging markets.”

Winners
Winners were crowned in two tracks – Idea Stage (pre-commercialisation of the start-up) and Growth Stage (post-commercialisation):

Track 1 — Idea Stage
1st place: Zoe-X
2nd place: Ching
3rd place: Home Bug

Track 2 — Growth Stage
1st place: Snapplify
2nd place: Triggerfish
3rd place: Umuntu Media

The winners of both groups received cash prizes. As the winner of the growth track,