SEEDSTARS WORLD IS RETURNING TO DAR ES SALAAM TO FIND THE BEST STARTUP IN TANZANIA
On 20 July 2017, 10 of Tanzania’s best seed stage startups will compete to represent the country at the Seedstars Summit and win up to USD 500 000 in equity investment.
Dar el Salaam, Tanzania, 12 July 2017 - Seedstars World, the global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes is coming to Tanzania for the 3rd time. With the support of the Swiss Embassy and our local ambassador Buni Hub, Seedstars World will be holding a dynamic pitch event on the 20 July 2017. In line with its mission to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, Seedstars World is travelling to more than 65 countries this year to identify the best seed-stage entrepreneurs and provide them with an opportunity to win up to USD 500 000 and network with investors and mentors from around the world. Its previous participants have raised over USD 61M collectively, providing employment to more than 800 employees worldwide.
The companies selected to pitch at the Seedstars Dar el Salaam event need to be less than 2 years old, have raised less than USD 500,000 in funding and have built a minimum viable product, ideally with existing traction. The Seedstars World team is searching for one additional criterion - the startup’s regional and global scalability. Seedstars World is looking for smart startups that solve regional issues and develop profitable products for the global market, to support their regional businesses and growth.
In order to provide local entrepreneurs with this opportunity and aiming to deliver the best possible event, Seedstars World is closely working with Buni Hub, who is representing the initiative throughout the year. “ It has always been my passion to be part of the growth process of startup companies in my country. Being the Tanzanian Seedstars ambassador for two years now has given me the opportunity to put smiles on startups by showing them the best ways to make their companies investment ready and it's so far working perfectly. Thank you, Seedstars.” explains Maryam Mgonja from Buni Hub.
“Seedstars World is a platform connecting investors to the next generation of startup entrepreneurs, pulling the spotlight from Silicon Valley and Western Europe. As this will be our 3rd time to organize our event in Dar el Salaam, our excitement level and expectations are high. The winner from last year, Lilian Makoi, the founder of Jamii, a mobile micro-health insurance product for the low income and informal sector, represented Tanzania during the Global Summit. She was amongst the top 12 of finalists and was nominated for the best female entrepreneur prize” explains Claudia Makadristo, Regional Manager at Seedstars World, “We are impressed by what we have seen in the continent so far and cannot wait to add startups from Tanzania on our map.”
Up to 10 of the best seed stage startups in Tanzania will be invited to pitch for the opportunity to compete at the Seedstars Summit, that annually takes place in Switzerland. At the same time, Seedstars World is also working very closely with Enel Green Power to source the most innovative business models in the energy sectors and ones that are fostering socio-economic development in rural villages in Africa. Up to 5 best startups in this sector will be invited for an exclusive RES4Africa networking event taking place later this November in Nairobi and compete for an Africa Energy Prize which consists of a financial contribution and a three-month acceleration programme for a total value of up to 50,000 USD.
Applications are still open, and startups can apply here: https://seedsta.rs/dar2017 by Thursday 13th of July. Attendees have to RSVP on the same link to attend the event.