GFA Spotlight: Q-Hop (GetFundedAfrica July/August Fundraising Cohort Edition)
About Q-Hop
Q-Hop is an in-store digital purchasing experience that provides hyper-personalized shopping, scan-to-pay services, and cashless digital payment choices. The B2B IoT-as-a-Service collects data to forecast and influence real-time purchasing behavior, resulting in increased revenue and sales.
Meet Ajay Lalu (Co-Founder)
What inspired you to create this company? What was the extra push?
“We were inspired by the rapid adoption of IoT technology. Given the COVID pandemic the exponential growth in IoT and AI which allowed us to look at brick and mortar retailers and customer needs. Thats why we created an autonomous retail checkout solution, Q-HOP.”
What do you wish you knew before starting your entrepreneurial journey?
“How hard it’s going to be…. how long it will take and how much rejection you need to deal with as a start up.”
What are the key successes as a founder?
“Determination and perseverance…. You need to have a thick skin and strong belief in your solution. Sell! Sell! Sell!! Have a team of super stars that surround you!”
What were the challenges you have faced as an African founder? How did you overcome them?
“Access to capital remains a key constraint to founders in Africa. The constant load shedding in South Africa and high cost of data is a problem, but most of all the inability for corporates to support African startups needs to be addressed. We signed a global strategic alliance agreement with Microsoft which allows us to access more clients with a credible partner.”
Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?
“Persevere and don’t give up…. hard work and consistency produce results. Anything is possible with tech so when people don’t believe you prove to them that you can! Create a good strong advisory board and surround yourself with people that you trust and can add value.”
Fun fact about you?
“In my next profession I’m going to be a photographer. I met Nelson Mandela several times.”
What are your social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) so that our readers can connect you?
LinkedIn: Ajay Lalu | LinkedIn
Meet Sanjay Soni (Director)
What inspired you to create this company? What was the extra push?
“Create solutions relevant for the African continent through leveraging our networks, customer base and experiences.”
What do you wish you knew before starting your entrepreneurial journey?
“You should have one great reason/passion why you are getting into your business.”
What are the key successes as a founder?
“Diligence, long term planning, leveraging of your co-founder and team, thinking 3-5 steps ahead, being agile.”
What were the challenges you have faced as an African founder? How did you overcome them?
“Capital, market access and people not believing in you. We are overcoming these by bootstrapping (as long as we can), staying true to our focus and continuing to believe in ourselves.”
Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?
“Commit to your business, have a team (including a co-founder), learn pivot and iterate.”
Fun fact about you?
“Coffee-holic who took a barista course so that I could learn how to make great coffee.”
What are your social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) so that our readers can connect you?
LinkedIn: Sanjay Soni CA(SA) | LinkedIn
