Facebook to sponsor competition for African startups to be held in Nairobi

TechCrunch an American news site in conjunction with Facebook, is set to host a competition for 15 African startups after a months-long search for the most promising startups on the continent.

Startup Battlefield Africa, set to kick off on Wednesday 11th Oct 2017, will see an esteemed panel of judges will select a winner in each of the three categories: Productivity and Utility, Social Good, and Gaming and Entertainment.

Over the last two months, these 15 Startups refined their business models, demos, and messaging with TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield team and Editors. It culminates onstage with a five-minute pitch and live demo in front of an audience of investors, entrepreneurs, technologists and those watching through the livestream. Each startup then has six minutes to answer questions from the panel of judges.

Participating Startups

The startups participating built innovations for the African context, and creatively solve for questions around how to distribute or scale tech in environments with limited connectivity. Some of these startups are poised to solve big development challenges while turning a profit. Others are taking Africa’s long-standing creative industries digital.

These are all questions that will discussed on-stage between the Startup Battlefield segments with the serial entrepreneurs, investors, and technologists pushing these conversations forward through their work every day.

The most promising Startup will be awarded Sh2.6m. The winning company will also get an opportunity to participate in Disrupt San Francisco 2018, an event where start-ups will exhibit their products and go up against their global peers.

According to Facebook, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is part of boarder efforts to localize its Africa strategy.

TechCrunch has been running similar competitions across the world since 2007. The news firm says that contestants at these competitions have gone on to raise over Sh722.8 billion ($7 billion) in funding.

Here are the shortlisted participants;

Session 1 – Productivity and Utility at 9:35 AM:  WeCashUpForm+Delivery ScienceAbacus InvestSellioLori Systems

Session 2 – Gaming and Entertainment at 11:20 AM:  Big5 GamesTango TVLomaySynCommerce

Session 3 – Social Good at 1:45 PM: ConnectMedM-ShuleDot LearnTalent2AfricaAgroCenta

“The whole aim is to continue the narrative, to bring the eyes of the world to see what is happening in the region,” said Chukwuemeka Afigbo, Facebook’s head for products partnerships.

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