10 Start-up Competitions for African Entrepreneurs
These contests award funding, mentors and more.
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Going for Gold - Without the professional and financial support of start-up competitions, many of the stellar technology products, services and companies coming out of Africa might still be a twinkle in their ambitious founder’s eye. Keep reading to learn about the African-based and global contests working to boost aspiring entrepreneurs and advance the continent’s innovative edge. —Patrice Peck(Photo: Blend Images/Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)
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Pivot East - Launched as an initiative by the technology consortium m:Lab East Africa, Pivot East, a mobile start-ups pitching competition, has been held annually since 2011. To enter, applicants must include a detailed start-up profile describing the customer problem, the business model and the sales strategy among other aspects. A panel of judges, mainly investors, will then score the applicant’s potential and select one winner for each category, such as Financial Service and Entertainment. Finalists for the Pivot 2013 have recently been selected.(Photo: Pivot East)
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88mph - Through a three-month accelerator program, 88pmh offers early-stage Web/mobile companies up to $100,000 in funding. Seasoned start-up mentors, work spaces in Nairobi and Cape Town and a “crazy talented” community of start-up founders are also made available to those selected companies. The application deadline for Nairobi was Aug. 1, with the program beginning Aug. 26.(Photo: 88 mph)
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Startup World - A start-up competition established to shed light on entrepreneurs in emerging markets, Startup World will be held in 20 cities worldwide. Although they are only currently accepting applications for North America and Europe, the organizers plan to head to South Africa and Kenya in the near future, as seen on their map. Start-ups must have been launched in the last two years and received no more than $900,000 in funding. Additionally, applicants must give a demonstration on their project or service. (Photo: Startup World)
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Apps4Africa - This mobile application competition has distributed a total of $125,000 to 12 of the continent’s most promising technology-centric businesses since 2010. In addition to targeting for-profit African tech start-ups, Apps4Africa also focuses on non-profit social ventures. Past winners include Uganda-based Ffene, Ghana-based SliceBiz and Kenya-based iCow. The 2013 competition deadline has not been announced, so follow Apps4Africa on Twitter for more information.(Photo: Apps for Africa)
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