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The Regional Finals will occur in Accra, Lagos, Dakar, Cape Town and Nairobi. The pitch location for regionals will be shared closer to the date.

Each pitch will last for 5 minutes with 5 minutes of Q&A. Startups must include a live demo of their product during pitches.

Winners will be announced at the end of each competition day.

All pitches and Q&A will be made in English.

Yes. Both the Regional Finals and Final Demo Day will be physical events.

Regional Finalists will be fully sponsored with travel to and from Accra, housing, and transport for the final pitch day on December 1, 2022. Regional finalists should plan to arrive in Accra at the end of November 2022.

3-4 days. Regional Finalists will arrive in Accra 2 days before the competition and will depart on 2nd December 2022.

Note: The winner will be expected to stay in Accra for a longer duration, about 5-6 days total.

Pitch readiness sessions will only be organized for Regional Finalists preparing for the final Demo Day.

You’re eligible to apply if your company is based in one or more of the 5 countries where we will hold the Regional Finals (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya)

$50,000 in equity investment, access to MEST Portfolio resources and strategic partnerships, 1-year professional business coaching in addition to other benefits and prizes for the main winner and Regional Finalists.

A pre-seed or seed stage tech-enabled or software company that is currently generating income and has been in operation for 2 years or under. The company must be able to demonstrate traction in at least one of the 5 MAC countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya).