Afrolynk Matchmaking 2019

Afrolynk’s Pre-Conference Needs and Opportunity Assessment for Matchmaking is designed to facilitate  organizational improvements, resource and knowledge sharing together with startups, mentors and companies

Are you interested in providing solutions to European companies who will need your services?

Are you an African Start-up interested in partnership opportunities?

Here is a chance to match-up with companies that can pay for your product or service.

Afrolynk pre-conference needs and opportunity assessment is calling on African start-ups interested in partnership opportunities with European companies to apply. The aim of this process is to facilitate organizational improvements and knowledge sharing. This process leads up to the Conference and Startup-Night on September 16th-20th.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Exposure to experienced mentors
Organizational improvement for your start-up
Knowledge sharing

WHAT TO EXPECT

The selected startups will be screened thoroughly and guided by experienced mentors to expose their needs and wants related to technology, financial capital, educational needs, and aspirations.

Similarly, selected organizations will undergo a Needs and Opportunity assessment, in order to identify the internal gap and most pressing needs, and further determine which startup has the right skill set to support resolve them.

During this process, Afrolynk will be in regular exchange with the startups and use this need assessment to select the right partners and also to approach investors for potential matchmaking to prepare the startups for their time in Germany, and to ensure as much progress as possible.

Out of the accepted startups, approximately 20 will be selected and invited to Berlin for a full week of workshops, networking and pitching. This week will conclude in the Afrolynk Conference 2019 on the 20th of September.

The Workshops

The workshops will be adjusted to the needs of the startups. Topics in past workshops have included design thinking, investor readiness, time management, and other business acumen. Ideally, the workshops will not only cover these topics, but, by using the right facilitators based on the startups’ assessment, go in-depth on specific, previously-exposed needs.

Ecosystem Tour

The startups will take a tour through the Berlin startup ecosystem where they meet key players from the field of investing, corporates, and policy-makers. In addition to this more general tour, Afrolynk will in best efforts to organize 1-on-1s with the respective mentors, and partners.

After the workshop series and tour, all startups will get together again on Thursday for a recap meeting to share their learnings and prepare for the coming days of pitching and networking with investors. In the evening, a closed get-together ceremony will be organized, where the startups and selected high-level representatives of corporate businesses, investors and policy-makers can use the more intimate setting to network and exchange.

The Afrolynk Conference

The next day, Friday, the Afrolynk Grand Conference will take place from morning to afternoon, followed by the startup-night in the evening. Startups will have the chance to pitch to the audience, mingle with attendees and have talks with key investors.  

DO YOU MEET THE CRITERIA?

You do not currently need to be investor ready.

However, you should:

• be African/Afrocentric 
• be partner conducive and willing to commit to the matchmaking process
• be working towards fulfilling the SDG goals, using technology
• have a passion for innovation

TIMELINE OVERVIEW

Pre-Conference Workshops, 16th-17th September // 2 days of capacity building workshops designed for preselected startups

Ecosystem-Tour, 18th September// A guided tour through the Berlin startup scene, and meetings with key stakeholders

Evening Ceremony, 19th September// Closed high-level Networking with cooperates, institutional representatives and entrepreneurs

Main Conference, 20th September // Keynotes & Panel Discussions with ecosystem builders, investors, policy-makers and entrepreneurs

Startup Night, 20th September // An evening full of startup pitches, informal networking, concluding in an African afterparty