AfricArena, in partnership with the DER / FJ (General Delegation for the Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth, Government of Senegal) and the ITC United Nations #FastTrackTech Africa project, is proud to announce its Summit for Africa ‘Ouest, which will take place on June 22 and 23, 2021, at the Radisson Blu hotel in Dakar, Senegal.
The two-day conference will feature pitches from over 20 startups operating in the region, as well as keynotes and panel discussions from top minds in business, technology and investment in West Africa. .
About AfricArena
AfricArena (https://www.africarena.com/) is an accelerator of African technological ecosystems. Through a series of events (live and digital), AfricArena accelerates the growth of tech startups and the ecosystems in which they operate by providing them with a platform where they can share their business model, acquire valuable networks and obtain funding.
A series of regional events
This year AfricArena is organizing four hybrid events in four regions of Africa, leading up to the annual AfricArena Summit in Cape Town at the end of the year. Regional events will bring together startups, investors and companies operating in the region. More than 20 West African startups will be selected to participate in the Dakar event. While bringing invaluable awareness and networking opportunities to the region’s ecosystem, the events will also serve as a semi-final, used to select the startups that will present their project at the Continental Summit in Cape Town in December 2021.
West African events
The West Africa Summit will take place in Dakar, Senegal (Radisson Blu Hotel) on June 22-23, 2021. The two-day summit will feature over 20 startup pitches as well as presentations and panel discussions with opinion leaders from the ecosystem – speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The day before the Summit, startups will also be invited to participate in a one-day bootcamp hosted by a local incubator, Impact Hub Dakar.
During these two days, the Summit expects a little more than 20 startups who will present their innovative solutions. The more than 20 startups that will present their solutions will mostly be shortlisted during a series of virtual presentation sessions that will take place from May 25 to June 10, 2021 (participation in these digital events is free, register here).
Alongside the Founders Bootcamp, the highly anticipated West African Investors Unconference will be held, by invitation only, where Investors from Africa-focused start-ups and VC funds will take part in discussions and workshops. focused on co-investment and how to facilitate the process of investing in technology start-ups on the continent. Between 20 and 30 investors are expected.
“West Africa is a strong and growing ecosystem – with incredibly innovative tech startups and an increasingly active community of investors. This three-day program aims to bring together the main players in the ecosystem and promote collaboration that will move the region and the continent forward, ”said Christophe Viarnaud, founder of AfricArena.
“The AfricArena summit is the essential place for an in-depth immersion in African technology. For this West African regional edition, Senegal has the honor of being the host country thanks to the support of the DER / FJ for this internationally recognized initiative. A way to allow West African startups, VC funds, ESOs and other major players in our technological and innovation scene to come together, share experiences and opportunities, co-create, stimulate our digital champions and to strengthen the global exposure of our ecosystem ”indicated Papa Amadou Sarr, General Delegate of DER / FJ.
“#FastTrackTech Africa supports technology entrepreneurs across West Africa by providing them with the environment, skills and resources necessary for their growth. These startups will create jobs, knowledge and inclusive technologies for the future. They also contribute to the digital transformation of the continent and to the achievement of the objectives of sustainable development in education, health, decent work, ecology and in many other fields. AfricArena is a great partner to support us by helping them generate business leads and investments in the region. We look forward to the success of this event, which will allow us to showcase and celebrate West Africa’s tech ecosystem, ”said Robert Skidmores, Head of Sectors and Business Competitiveness at ITC. .
Tickets
Tickets for the summit can be purchased here.
Startups wishing to present their project can register here.
For any questions or clarifications on this press release, contact the AfricArena team at the following address: [email protected]
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