Deadline: September 3, 2018
Applications are now open for the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018. With more than 300 tech hubs across the continent connecting and mentoring entrepreneurs and innovators, it’s a prime time to be a startup in Africa — and the perfect time to launch your startup to the world.
They’re looking for Sub-Saharan Africa’s best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs to participate in this year’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa. They’re looking for startups most likely to produce an exit or IPO and startups of any kind may apply.
TechCrunch will host the event in Lagos in front of a live audience and top judges, and the show will be covered on TechCrunch. The judges will choose a winner, “Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup,” whose founders will win $25,000 USD in no-equity cash plus a trip for two to compete in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch’s flagship event, Disrupt in 2019 (assuming the company still qualifies to compete at this time).
Benefits
Five startups will compete in one of three preliminary rounds where they will have six minutes to pitch and present their demo. The judges will then have six minutes to ask questions. The judges will select five of the 15 startups to pitch a second time, and from that elite group of five comes one overall winner of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018.
In addition to an intense amount of media and investor interest, the founders of the winning startup will receive US$25,000 in no-equity cash plus a trip for two to compete in Startup Battlefield in San Francisco at their flagship event, TechCrunch Disrupt 2019 (assuming the company still qualifies to compete at the time).
If you think you’re the best early-stage startup in sub-Saharan Africa, submit your application today!
Eligibility
Are you as excited as they are? Do you want to launch your startup to the world? Ready to submit your application? Here’s what you need to know about eligibility.
Startups should:
- Be early-stage companies in “launch” stage
- Be headquartered in one of our eligible countries*
- Have a fully working product/beta, reasonably close to or in production
- Have received limited press or publicity to date
- Have no known intellectual property conflicts
Residents in the following countries may apply:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing language, the “Applicable Countries” does not include any country to or on which the United States has embargoed goods or imposed targeted sanctions (including, but not limited to, Sudan).
Application
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018 takes place in Lagos, Nigeria on December 11. Does your startup have what it takes to win it all? Your destiny awaits — apply today.
For more information, visit TechCrunch.
