South African tech innovation accelerator Sw7 has partnered SWIFT Innotribe, London & Partners and the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to hold an event at the House of Lords aimed at connecting UK investors with tech opportunities in emerging markets.
Sw7 originally visited the UK in June of last year to investigate the market, and took 13 South African tech startups to the country in November. It is now looking to build on that by reaching out to investors at an event on April 22.
Co-founder Odette Jones said Sw7 had been hosting events in South Africa with the UKTI aimed at setting up businesses to base themselves in the UK and secure their IP.
“The technology markets in particular are driven by the global players and for us to compete in Africa we need to have access to the same support as they do, which means raising capital on competitive terms and having access to the Western markets and infrastructure,” she said.
“The UK capital raising markets are more competitive and the pound goes a long way in Africa. It is not for all businesses, but those businesses wishing to compete in the global markets need to compete off a globally competitive platform. The UK represents the easiest market for us to access logistically and tends to be more externally focused than the US markets.”
The event is aimed at making connections with both early and late stage UK investors, and setting up the structures that make investments accessible to both the investor and the fund raiser.
“It is also a launchpad for the technology marketplace we are launching to help connect the Africa technology markets. It’s all about creating a platform to drive interest and make our markets more accessible and lower risk, and creating deal flow,” said Sw7 co-founder Keith Jones.
