Applications for DEMO Africa 2017 now open to tech startups

DEMO Africa has announced the key dates for its startup challenge for 2017, setting the deadline for tech startups on April 30th.

Tech startups from all over Africa are welcome to apple, but only 30 will be picked to participate at the final stage of the challenge between the 6-7th of September in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The DEMO Africa team will also make their Innovation Tour in 14 countries across the continent, with the partnerships of local technology and innovation hubs in each country. Some of these countries are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe and South Africa. These Innovation Tours will help startups with mentoring and coaching to help them improve their business ideas or products.

“We will be covering all the four corners of the continent and we have increased the number of countries that we will visit this year,” said Eng. Martin Obuya, projects director at DEMO Africa, who noted that some of the new stops include Botswana, Cote d’voire, Senegal and Morocco. “There has been a lot of innovation and entrepreneurship activities in these new countries and we hope to catalyze the ecosystems there in line with our mission.”

The top 30 startups chosen to pitch at DEMO Afrca’s final event in September will undergo a 2 day bootcamp and receive support in form of resources and mentorship valued at $150000 each for the next 3 years.

“We want to engage with startups in all the countries we visit,” said Mbugua Njihia. “This is a very good opportunity for startups to take advantage of the partner network created by DEMO Africa and its partners through the LIONS Africa partnership to create linkages and networks that can help grow their businesses.”

To qualify, the tech startups need to have innovative products in:

• Health,
• Education,
• Agriculture,
• Commerce,
• Hospitality,
• Manufacturing,
• Entertainment,
• Energy and
• Logistics

Apply here today.