SA Innovation Summit competitions call for entries

This year, the SA Innovation Summit is again giving inventors, innovators and established companies the opportunity to enter their prototype or product into the Inventors Garage and/or SA Innovation Legends Pitching Den competitions. This year also introduces the Match and Invest platform where entrepreneurs can pitch to investors directly in order to secure funding for their growing business.

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Pitching Den competition

This competition is open to high-growth startups, established companies and large corporates who are driving innovation on the African continent. “The Pitching Den was designed to recognise companies whose innovative tech-enabled solutions have the potential to make a significant positive impact on the growth of the continent,” says summit director, Audrey Verhaeghe.

The overall winners will be announced at an award ceremony and stand a chance to win an overseas trip to meet international investors at Slush, a Finnish Innovation Conference supported by TEKES, PR exposure worth R200,000, the opportunity for IP consultation from Spoor & Fisher, matchingmaking and acceleration, and more. Through their respective social innovation platforms, the SAB Foundation will support the best social innovation with a prize worth R50,000.

The Innovation Edge will be looking for opportunities to invest up to R1 million in ideas that have the potential to radically change the early life experiences of children, giving the best possible start in life right from the start. In addition to funding, the Innovation Edge could offer innovators with promising ideas the chance to attend a week-long incubation bootcamp offered by {code}bridge in Cape Town.

Entries to the Pitching Den are made online. Finalists will be invited to pitch their business to a panel of judges at the main conference.

Inventor’s Garage competition

This competition is open to anyone with a working prototype or product from proven concept to early commercialisation – whether a kitchen or garage inventor, a business or a seasoned innovator. The first round of judging will then take place and those selected as semi-finalists will be invited to showcase their products or prototypes at the SA Innovation Summit’s Market on the Edge. This offers exposure, advice, mentorship and possible deal-making. The second round of judging happens at the Market on the Edge with initial entries also received online.

Both competitions close on 30 July 2016.

Matchmaking and international exposure

“The goal of the Innovation Summit this year is innovation acceleration - scaling and impact for ideas that make a difference,” says Verhaeghe. “We are also collaborating with the Swiss Start-up Summit this year, which will most likely lead to the SA Innovation Summit receiving far greater media reach in Europe – meaning even more exposure for competition winners.”

The SA Innovation Summit main conference takes place this year from 21-24 September at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Johannesburg.

Visit the website for more information.