First-ever Global Startup Awards Africa to take place in Cape Town

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Hosted by the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), the event is a culmination of a six-month-long process of extensive and rigorous research, networking, and collaborations across the globe, with the aim of finding Africa’s most promising innovators.

With the help of 30 country partners, 50 ambassadors and 250 innovation hubs, the Global Startup Awards Africa found close to 8,000 startups and ecosystem actors from 54 African countries with solutions addressing 12 of the 17 identified SDGs.

With a cohort of 215 independent industry expert jury members, the nominated startups and ecosystem enablers went through three rounds of judging and two rounds of public voting, which then narrowed down the search to 500 country winners, 60 regional winners and finally 12 continental winners that were announced virtually earlier this year.

Participants were surveyed, and invaluable data was collected, which allowed the organisation to unequivocally get to the core of what specific needs and challenges are faced by African startups.

The winners will have the opportunity to present and workshop with industry experts, corporates, policymakers, global family offices, institutions and UHNWI’s who are seeking to invest SDG-aligned technologies from Africa.

The event promises to put the startups front and centre with the focus on connecting ecosystem players and enabling impact through meaningful panel discussions, highly curated matchmaking, and deal flow sessions, facilitating pan-African, global trade and investment opportunities for tech startups across the continent.

The event is supported by stakeholders such as the South Africa National Convention Bureau, the City of Cape Town, and the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), whose collective vision is to position Cape Town as the tech capital of the future.

Day one will see speakers, panellists and startups tackle the topics such as:

• The future of startup funding: what works? what’s next?
• Megatrends: the emerging trends we are seeing on the continent (health, climate, financial inclusion)
• Building global bridges: how to access new markets
• Talent spotting: bridging knowledge gaps and addressing the complexities of team management
• Alternative investments models: profit and purpose; gender smart investing
• Future of blockchain and the metaverse for existing startups

This will conclude with a startup showcase and gala dinner to celebrate the impact and successes the startups have had to date.

Day two will provide a thinktank for deal flow, workshops, and matchmaking, for invited guests and sponsors.