On the 5th March 2020, Fast Company SA took the annual Most Innovative Companies issue to the next level with the inaugural Most Innovative Companies Conference and Awards Ceremony, not only spotlighting prolific organisations and startups in the magazine, but also giving them a tangible accolade, resources and a platform to help propel their businesses to the next level. The event took place at the CTICC in Cape Town and started off with a jam-packed workshop by esteemed speakers including General Manager of WeWork, Stafford Masie, Rory Moore from Accenture, Phathizwe Malinga from SqwidNET and Reshaad Sha from Liquid Telecom.
There was also a crowdfunding challenge, where startups were invited to pitch their company to a panel of judges from Uprise Africa, who then chose a winner to gain access to their crowdfunding platform. Of course, the exhibition was a big hit too with displays from the likes of Accenture, Liquid Telecom, AYO Technology Solutions and more, who showcased their latest innovations in augmented and virtual reality. The interactive exhibit kept the crowd entertained in between speakers.
The event didn’t end there though, as the much anticipated dinner and awards ceremony followed in the evening. Winner Cloudline went home with the ultimate Most Innovative Company title while the other Top 5 Most Innovative Comapnies, 3X4 Genetics, 1dentity, Iyeza Health and Kuba Technology Services were also awarded top honours. A highlight of the evening was a talk by the esteemed Dr Adriana Marais who gave exclusive insight into her Proudly Human Off-World project. Great food, exceptional entertainment and a room filled with some of the biggest and brightest minds in business and innovation, was what the night entailed, and the overall inaugural event was a roaring success.
Take a look at the video below for more:
