MEST Africa Challenge Startup Pitch Competition Opens Applications
Unlock Your Startup Potential and Win $50,000 in Equity
[Accra-Ghana, 28th August 2023] – MEST Africa, in partnership with Absa Bank, is delighted to announce the opening of applications for the highly anticipated MEST Africa Challenge Startup Pitch Competition. Early-stage technology startups operational in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa are invited to participate in this prestigious competition to showcase their innovative businesses and entrepreneurial prowess. The application period begins today and will close on 9th October 2023.
The MEST Africa Challenge offers exceptional benefits to participating startups. The winner will receive a substantial equity investment of USD 50,000, providing crucial financial support to accelerate their business growth. In addition, the winner and other outstanding participants will gain access to MEST Africa’s global community and networks, unlocking valuable partnerships, mentorship, and investment opportunities. This platform catalyzes startups to unlock the next phase of their business growth and gain global recognition.
Building upon the success of the previous years, the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge crowned Kwely, a B2B e-commerce startup from Senegal, as the winner. Kwely’s groundbreaking solutions stood out among the fierce competition, and their success serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs across Africa.
“This year’s tagline, ‘Unlock Your Startup Potential’, resonates deeply with the vibrant technology landscape we are witnessing in Africa today. With the remarkable advancements in technology innovation and adoption across the continent, this year’s competition is poised to showcase groundbreaking ideas and solutions. I am confident that the MEST Africa Challenge will uncover exceptional startups that will shape the future and drive positive change in Africa and beyond,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor and MEST Africa Challenge Lead.
Over the years, the MEST Africa Challenge pitch competition has garnered thousands of applications from across the continent, attaining global recognition and forging partnerships, while nurturing a thriving community of African tech founders. It has spotlighted and impacted the growth of winning startups such as Tanzania’s Kilimo Fresh, Ghana’s OZE, South Africa’s Snode Technologies, Kenya’s Waya Waya, Nigeria’s Accounteer, and reigning title holder, Kwely from Senegal.
Eligibility Criteria for MAC 2023:
- Monthly Recurring Revenue: $5k+
- Funding raised: Cumulative $1M or less
- Years of existence: 3 years and below
- Traction: At least 6 months of recurring revenue
- Founding team: At least 2 founding team members
- Registered in Delaware (This is preferred)
- Demonstrated traction in MAC Markets (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal)
Learn more and apply here:https://meltwater.org/mac/
About MEST Africa:
MEST is a pan-African software and entrepreneurship training program, seed fund, and incubator helping to launch technology startups across the continent. Founded in Ghana in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Jorn Lyseggen, MEST is a 12-month program that provides critical skills training in software development, business, and communications to Africa’s burgeoning tech talent. MEST provides seed funding for the best ideas coming out of the program and continues to support the growth and development of its portfolio companies.
To date, MEST has trained over 2000 entrepreneurs from across the continent and funded over 90 startups across industries from Agritech, Fintech, SaaS, eCommerce, Digital Media, and Healthcare amongst others. MEST is fully funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Norwegian company Meltwater; a global leader in social and media intelligence headquartered in San Francisco.
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