Startup pitching event DEMO Africa, which will take place in Lagos, Nigeria in September, has received a record number of applications, with the 654 received almost doubling last year’s 382.
There are 26 more spaces available on the DEMO Africa stage, after Flippy Campus, Shield Finance, Road Rules and Raye7 booked their tickets at mini-events held in Accra, Nairobi, Harare and Cairo respectively. The DEMO Africa jury will now decide on the rest.
Applications have now expired, with a record 654 applications received. The most popular categories are Communication – with 51 entries – followed by Retail with 45 and Education with 44. Waste Management and Recycling and Water and Sanitation have a total of 17 entries despite having been shunned last year. Energy, Finance, Banking and Health are also well represented.
Harry Hare, director of DEMO Africa, commended the efforts of the entrepreneurs, saying the quality of products applying to pitch continues to improve every year.
“Each year presents an opportunity for Africa to prove that she has what it takes to fuel her own growth. I have no doubt that this year we shall unveil even more widely applicable solutions,” he said.
Ben White, co-founder of VC4Africa, was positive on the prospects of finding a new generation of innovative solutions from across the continent.
“The annual increase in the number of applications is a clear indication that a growing number of entrepreneurs across Africa are taking up the challenge to address some of the continent’s most pressing issues, turning problems into opportunities.”
