Startup pitching event DEMO Africa has announced four “mini-events” will be held across Africa in the lead-up to the main conference in September, aimed at encouraging activity in “less favoured categories”.
Disrupt Africa reported in March applications opened for the 2015 DEMO Africa pitching event, to be held in Lagos, Nigeria, in September; with applications closing at the end of May, following which the top 30 applicants will be selected to pitch live at the September event.
The competition divides applicants into 12 categories, namely: Agriculture, Health, Education, Manufacturing, Retail, Media and Entertainment, Communication, Transport and Logistics, Energy, Finance and Banking, Water and Sanitation, Waste Management and Recycling.
DEMO Africa today announced four “mini-events” will be held in Kenya’s Nairobi; Ghanaian capital Accra; Harare in Zimbabwe; and Egyptian capital Cairo.
The first mini-event is to take place will be held in Nairobi on June 3, bringing together entrepreneurs and “their more successful peers”, as well as industry stakeholders.
DEMO Africa said the events are intended to encourage innovation in “less favoured categories where interventions are critically needed in various countries across Africa”; although the organisation has not indicated what these categories are.
To qualify for DEMO Africa, startups must ensure their products have the ability to impact the marketplace. A clear business plan and a team capable of delivering the product are also vital, while it must be ready for launch and the business must be legally registered. Preference is given to disruptive innovations that have massive potential for scale.
In April, Disrupt Africa published advice for how to make the perfect application for DEMO Africa.
