A Cape Town-Based data mining company that accurately call both Brexit and Trump’s victory – proving that meaningful, predictive insights can be gained from the online conversation – has been named as the overall winner at the prestigious 2017 FNB Business Innovation Awards.
The awards are held in in partnership with Endeavor South Africa.
The winner of the First National Bank (FNB) Business Innovation Award automatically becomes a member of the world-renowned Endeavour Entrepreneur Experience.
The overall winner will get an opportunity to present their business ideas at the prestigious International Selection Panel (ISP) in New York later this year.
ISP brings together high-impact entrepreneurs to present their business value propositions to world-leading business personalities for a chance to be part of an exclusive global network.
The ISP is the final step of Endeavor’s rigorous multi-step Selection Process.
BrandsEye founder Craig Raw and CEO Jean-Pierre Kloppers were announced as the overall winner of the 2017 FNB Business Innovation Awards.
The South African-based data mining firm will be sponsored by FNB to attend the Endeavor International Selection Panel (ISP) to be held in New York, USA this September.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, to be chosen as a winner among 12 amazing businesses, BrandsEye has been around for over 10 years, in that time we have done some really great work that has allowed us to continuously improve the technology that we use. Winning this means we get to take a step further in globalising our offering” Raw said on Friday.
“I think what is special about BrandsEye is that we understand what public opinion is, on a very wide scale, we are mining social media for public views that are not available in any other forum. No one else is doing that” added Kloppers.
The FNB Business Innovation Awards began in 2015 with a need to recognise and celebrate creativity, outstanding business innovation and those that push beyond the limits to develop scalable businesses that can compete globally.
“The finalists all demonstrate the talent South Africa has in producing high-impact entities that are not only innovative but have scalable business models that make them globally competitive. South Africa’s best chance at solving the unemployment epidemic is investing in scalable businesses” said Mike Vacy-Lyle, CEO FNB Business.
Catherine Townshend, Managing Director of Endeavor South Africa added, “the partnership with FNB gives BrandsEye access to the Endeavor ISP, an opportunity to engage with a network of leading international luminaries and high-impact peer groups. Endeavor offers founders entry to international markets and access to networks that can help them scale”.
The FNB Business Innovation Awards are dedicated to furthering the growth of innovative, globally scalable South African businesses – all the finalists chosen display this potential.