From Uche Usim, Abuja
Over 1,000 startup entrepreneurs from all African nations are expected to participate in the 2020 virtual edition of the African Economic Congress (AEC) slated for November 2-4.
According to the organisers, the annual competition will highlight innovation, technology and originality.
The African startup challenge is an entrepreneurship sustenance body of the Economic Congress tasked with discussing business development issues relating to
startups and small enterprises. The main theme of this year’s challenge will be
“Improving Africa’s Business Community through Tech.” Every year, here at the African Economic Congress, the best start-ups are introduced to the world. It is yet another opportunity to reach a higher level.
In order to build jobs and boost livelihoods in Africa, the AEC start-up challenge seeks to infuse a culture of creativity and foster innovations. The expected outcome of the competition is to select winning ideas that can lead to new products, programmes, projects, processes and to engage young entrepreneurs eager to tackle the challenges they face as well as global challenges through “smart solutions” that transform the economy of Africa and the world.
Application opens on Monday, 4 October, with a short summary of startup ideas, detailing plans on profitability.
This year, new business ideas shall compete for the attention of the audience and investors. While presenting business ideas to potential investors, collecting valuable feedback as well as gaining organizational and financial support. Participants get the opportunity to seek the advice of mentors and consult experts on the validity of business concepts, and also to learn the latest from the technological sector and meet the disruptors of the tech industry.
In a bid to build transparency, the African Economic Congress has partnered with Ventures Park to provide expert coordination and selection. Ventures Park remains a leading source of capacity building, support, capital, and advocacy for entrepreneurs, enabling them to enhance the creation of wealth and development in Africa.
Ventures Park is a subsidiary of Ventures Platform. Ventures Platform is a catalyst for innovation & entrepreneurship across Africa. The company provides smart capital through our early-stage fund, Ventures Platform Fund, which provides infrastructure and nurture communities of entrepreneurs and innovators through Ventures Park while building a pipeline by providing capacity and ecosystem support through our not-for-profit – Ventures Platform Foundation.