Seedstars World has opened applications for the Ethiopian leg of the global startup competition, offering one startup from the country the chance to pitch for US$500,000 investment in Geneva, Switzerland next year.
Disrupt Africa reported yesterday applications opened for the Kenyan leg of the Seedstars World competition, while local editions have already taken place in Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Uganda.
Each regional winner will progress to pitch head-to-head against finalists from around the world in Switzerland in February, with applications now open until September 20 for the Ethiopian competition, which takes place on October 8.
It is the first time Seedstars World has come to Ethiopia, with the competition having been expanded this year to include more than 50 countries, up from 36 countries in the 2014 edition. Up to 12 Ethiopian startups will be selected to pitch.
“This is the first time in Ethiopia for us and we are very much looking forward to diving into the local ecosystem and help elevate it to a global stage,” said Marcello Schermer, regional manager for Africa at Seedstars World.
The Seedstars World local ambassador for Ethiopia is Markos Lemma of iceaddis, who chose to join Seedstars World to bring more international attention to the upcoming innovation ecosystem.
