By Mark Kawalya
Venture Capital For Africa (VC4A) is calling for applications to VC4A Venture Showcase Africa 2023, the annual accelerator program profiling startups in Africa with high growth and high impact.
By putting a spotlight on the best African startups, Venture Showcase gives African founders visibility among VC4A’s network of investors. This is an opportunity for founders of disruptive and innovative startups to raise seed or series A round by pitching to some of the most forward-thinking investors.
The Venture Showcase 2023 is in partnership with the African European Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB) and Work in Progress. Since its inception in 2017, the VC4A Venture Showcase Africa alumni have received more than USD$630 million (about Shs2.3 trillion)
VC4A’s partnership with AEDIB has provided four themed tracks, which are:
(1) Climate Smart Agriculture
(2) Digital Trade
(3) Smart Cities
(4) Clean Tech, along with the primary tracks of Series A and Seed fundraising.
Climate Smart Agriculture: Innovations that can boost agricultural production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster climate resilience.
Digital Trade: Innovations that encourage the buying, payment, and delivery of goods and services in environmentally sustainable ways. These solutions provide linkages between buyers and sellers, facilitate digital payments, and boost logistics.
Smart Cities: Innovations that encourage sustainable living within cities, boost economic growth, or improve the efficiency of government services, through improved connectivity and mobility.
Clean Tech: Innovations that can counter global warming and protect the natural environment. Solutions that considerably improve energy efficiency or introduce sustainable use of natural resources
Abu Cassim, Acceleration Team Lead at VC4A in a press statement said that “The real value of the VC4A Venture Showcase Africa program is the level of investor engagement.”
Cassim also added that investors are directly involved in the referral, selection, and delivery of masterclasses, making it possible for startups to receive visibility from investors throughout the entire process.
Additionally, finalists get mentorship and technical advice from angel investors and venture capital fund managers that are engaged in the program.
The Venture Showcase is a good opportunity for startups to gain visibility for their fundraising campaign and to connect with prospective investors and partners.
Applications are open (APPLY NOW) until May 17th, 2023.
