Dakar gears up for Innovation Week ahead of AfricArena Dakar Summit and ASIP Demo Day

Dakar, considered one of Africa’s main startup ecosystems attracts traders 

All roads result in Dakar, Senegal for a collection of occasions occurring throughout the Enrich in Africa week which begins on the twenty second of Might with a Studying Expedition held by incubator  Bond’innov .  Key highlights for the week embrace the AfricArena Dakar Summit, VC UnConference, and the highly-anticipated ASIP Accelerator Demo Day powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech and based by telecoms large Telecel Group .

Within the days previous the summit, Bond’innov has organized a one-week Studying Expedition to Dakar which can happen from the twenty second to the twenty sixth of Might. This particular expedition will help 15 to twenty overseas entrepreneurs and SMEs to find the Senegalese market, create lasting partnerships and launch their financial actions within the area. The Studying Expedition gives a novel alternative to fulfill native facilitators and potential enterprise companions. This system additionally offers individuals with precious market intelligence in key areas of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, together with the native enterprise setting and finest practices to sort out the native market. 

Senegal’s positioning because the window into Francophone Africa has been solidified by the nation’s continued success within the know-how startup and innovation area. Dakar has a quickly rising startup ecosystem that’s proving engaging to traders. In response to the StartupBlink World Startup Ecosystem Index 2022, 93% of Senegal’s startups are based mostly in Dakar’s vibrant startup ecosystem which ranks 4th in Africa. 

In 2019, the nation grew to become the second African nation to go a Startup Act and subsequently, President Macky Sall established The Basic Delegation for the Fast Entrepreneurship of Girls and Youth (DER/FJ), which has partnered with AfricArena, Startupbootcamp AfriTech, and Enrich in Africa in numerous capacities. 

Partnerships in West Africa essential to constructing Africa’s tech ecosystem 

Partnerships akin to these have led to a rise in occasions that convey collectively a few of the brightest minds and innovators in Africa’s tech and startup ecosystem, making a platform for collaboration, studying, and progress.

“We’re thrilled to be internet hosting this in Senegal, which is quick turning into a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa,” mentioned Henry Ojuor, Program Director at Startupbootcamp Afritech. “By these occasions, we hope to create a platform for collaboration and progress, in addition to showcase the unimaginable expertise and potential that exists throughout the African tech and startup ecosystem.” 

The ASIP Demo Day, which takes place throughout the AfricArena Dakar Summit, will showcase probably the most promising startups from the ASIP Accelerator Program, offering a platform for them to pitch their progressive concepts and merchandise to traders and potential companions. The ASIP Demo Day takes place on Africa Day which is twenty fifth Might. This will likely be a novel alternative for traders to find and join with a few of the most disruptive startups within the African tech business. Startupbootcamp AfriTech will even be having a gathering of all of its alumni straight after Demo Day. 

The AfricArena Dakar Summit is a premier tech convention that may convey collectively entrepreneurs, traders, and company executives from world wide to discover the newest tendencies and improvements within the African tech ecosystem. The occasion, which has an overarching concentrate on Fintech, Mobility & Logistics will likely be occurring on the Museum of Black Civilizations and can characteristic keynote audio system, panels, and pitch classes, in addition to networking alternatives for attendees. 

After the Summit, AfricArena, in partnership with Startupbootcamp AfriTech, will likely be working an Open Innovation & Company VC Unconference to happen from Friday twenty sixth Might to Sunday twenty eighth Might on the Rhino Resort Lodge and Spa in Saly, Senegal. 

The objective of this VC Unconference will likely be to allow key gamers within the company group staked in or planning to faucet into tech innovation in Africa to take part in an change of finest practices and information round tips on how to efficiently function on the continent to develop new services and products in partnership with startups. 

“Along with Startupbootcamp Afritech and ENRICH in Africa, we’re proud to host the AfricArena Dakar Summit in such a historic metropolis that may be a hub of commerce, funding, and innovation and which positively impacts Africa’s tech and startup ecosystem,” says AfricArena CEO and founder Christophe Viarnaud. 

Company partnerships and bilateral agreements increase Africa’s quickly rising tech ecosystem 

The involvement of corporates within the collection of occasions is a sign of how necessary it’s to collaborate and study from each sides of the ecosystem. Founding accomplice of the ASIP Accelerator, The Telecel Group, who not too long ago accomplished the acquisition of the Vodafone Group’s Ghana Division will likely be main the fray of key gamers within the ecosystem. 

“We’re extremely happy with all progressive startups in our accelerator program, and we imagine that their success is essential to the long-term improvement and prosperity of the African continent,” famous Government Deputy at Telecel and ASIP Challenge Director Eleanor Azar. “That’s why we’re at all times by their facet to offer them with the steering, mentorship, and help they want. Such occasions are a part of our id at Telecel, and we stay dedicated to supporting these startups each step of the best way.” 

The ASIP Program can also be supported by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Growth Financial institution (FMO), DER/FJ, AWS, Google, and ENRICH in Africa. ENRICH in Africa has acquired funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 analysis and innovation program beneath grant settlement No. 101004709. 

The ENRICH in Africa Studying Expedition in Dakar will supply a tailor-made instructional program for delegates in search of to deepen their information of the African tech business. This system will embrace website visits, workshops, and networking classes, offering attendees with a complete understanding of the African tech ecosystem. 

Registration for all occasions is now open, and individuals can discover extra data and register for the occasion by the Bond’innov, AfricArena, and Startupbootcamp AfriTech web sites. 

Guide your seat on the AfricArena Dakar Summit right here. 

Guide your seat for the Open Innovation Unconference right here. 

For media inquiries or extra data, please contact: 

Startupbootcamp Afritech – jocelyn.nyaguse@startupbootcamp.org 

AfricArena – jngwenya@methys.com 

Bond’innov – ikhoukhi@bondinnov.com 

About Africa Startup Initiative 

ASIP is a program based by Moh Damush, Telecel Group CEO as a CSR exercise. ASI Program contributes in a significant technique to the African Continent to help younger startups whose progressive concepts are making a distinction of their communities, exposing them to worldwide organizations, and bridging the information and experience to permit them to draw companions that may add worth to their startups. For extra data on the ASIP, go to www.asiprogram.com 

About AfricArena 

AfricArena was launched as a platform in 2017 to help the creation of market entry and funding alternatives for its ever-increasing group of founders, angel traders, corporates, and VC traders. Designed with a digital method in thoughts, AfricArena consists of a collection of funding deal move occasions and interventions and an open-source platform for all stakeholders, all based mostly on rules of open innovation and entrepreneurship. The AfricArena model has quickly gained monumental credibility within the tech startup ecosystem with alumni startups elevating over $500 million prior to now six years. The AfricArena Summit occasions are damaged into three segments as follows: Investor Unconference, Founder’s BootCamp, and the principle Summit Occasion. For extra details about AfricArena, go to www.africarena.com 

About Startupbootcamp AfriTech 

Startupbootcamp AfriTech was launched in 2017 as the primary multi-corporate-backed pan-African startup accelerator. We run world-class accelerator applications, working with a few of the most disruptive startups on the continent. We offer entry to our international community of company companions, traders, and mentors. For extra data go to: http://bit.ly/sbcafritech 

About ENRICH in Africa 

ENRICH in Africa is a three-year mission funded beneath the European Union’s Horizon 2020 analysis and innovation program designed to convey collectively core stakeholders from Africa and Europe as a way to help and strengthen the European and African innovation ecosystem. Its essential objectives are to offer capability upgrading and help to incubators and accelerators throughout each areas and facilitate the progress of concepts and profitable outcomes by constructing a robust group with a basis within the supply of high quality providers. After the mission ends, actions and providers will likely be continued by the ENRICH in Africa Centre, which has not too long ago been launched. 

About Bond’innov : 

For over a decade, Bond’innov has been supporting innovation with excessive financial and social affect in Europe and Africa, utilizing confirmed instruments and methodologies. By its 3 places of work in France (Bond’innov Europe), Senegal (Bond’innov Afrique), and Morocco (Bond’innov Méditerranée), and its community of nation consultants, Bond’innov deploys its experience to strengthen numerous startups and innovation ecosystems. Bond’innov additionally performs a key position in startup funding by tailored monetary leverages and investment-readiness coaching applications.