Seedstars World is returning to Bmako to find the best startups in Mali
On September 14th, up to 10 of Mali's best seed stage startups will compete to represent the country at the Seedstars Summit and win up to USD 1,000,000 in equity investment and other prizes.
Bamako, Mali - Seedstars World, the global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes is coming to Mali for the second time.
With the support of our main sponsor Orange, our local ambassador Impact Hub Bamako and our regional partners Enel, Merck, Microsoft, Seedstars World will be holding a dynamic pitch event on September 14th at Impact Hub Bamako. 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 while networking 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 Seedstars Bamako 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 Enel, BBVA, Merck, 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.
In order to provide local entrepreneurs with this opportunity and deliver the best possible event, Seedstars World is closely working with Impact Hub Bamako, who is representing the initiative throughout the year. “The Seedstars experience has been very enriching for participants and for us at Impact Hub Bamako. The entrepreneurs selected to pitch learned to get out of their comfort zone and present their projects with more conviction and passion." Explains Mohamed Keita, CEO of Impact Hub Bamako."The local winner, Aikio Corp, had the opportunity to connect with a global emerging network. We have followed its remarkable progress over just one year since Seedstars 2016."
“Seedstars World is a platform connecting investors to the next generation of startup entrepreneurs, giving them an opportunity to scale their solutions regionally and globally." says Anis Kallel, Associate at Seedstars World. "This will be our second time to organize our event in Bamako, and we look forward to meeting talented entrepreneurs and adding more startups from Mali to our map."
Up to 10 of the best seed stage startups in Mali 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 USD 50,000.
Applications are open now, and startups can apply here: https://seedsta.rs/bamako2017 by September 7th.