Seedstars is coming to Accra to find the most promising tech startup in Ghana
On September 1st 2017, 10 of Ghana's most promising seed stage startups will compete to represent Ghana at both the Seedstars Africa Regional Summit and the Global Seedstars Summit in Switzerland.
Seedstars World, the global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes is returning to Ghana. With the support of the local host Impact Hub Accra, Seedstars World will be holding a dynamic pitch event on the 1st of September. In line with its mission to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, Seedstars World is travelling to more than 75 countries this year to identify the best seed-stage entrepreneurs and provide them with an opportunity to win up to USD 1,000,000 in investment and other prizes, and network with investors and mentors from around the world. Its previous participants have raised over USD 61M collectively, providing employment to more than 1000 employees worldwide.
The companies selected to pitch at the Seedstars Accra 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. With a strong network of international partners such as BBVA, Merck, Enel, Orange, Trecc and Standard Bank, 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.
"As this will be our 3rd time organizing the event in Accra, our excitement level and expectations are high. The winner from last year, Chalkboard Education, which is a mobile application for e-learning that works on all phones & without the Internet, did an amazing job during the summit and continues to expand its business in ghana and other neighboring countries." Explains Anis Kallel, Associate for Africa at Seedstars World. “We are impressed by what we have seen in the continent so far, and cannot wait to add startups from Ghana on our map.”
Up to 10 of the best seed stage startups in Ghana 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.
On a regional level, Seedstars is also partnered with the Merck Accelerator, in order to support seed-stage companies in Ghana, and across Asia and Africa with a focus on the fields of healthcare, life science and performance materials. The most promising HealthTech startups will receive office space in the Merck Innovation Center in Kenya or Germany, mentoring and coaching on a regular basis and financial support of up to €50,000.
Applications are open now, and startups can apply here: https://seedsta.rs/accra2017