Seedstars World 2019

 2019 Seedstars World, the largest startup competition for emerging markets, is back in Africa to scout for the top high growth startups and entrepreneurs and accelerate them on their path to global scaling.

On this 2019 edition of the tour, we will visit over 20+ cities across Sub-Saharan Africa to hosting bootcamps and pitch competitions, Countries such as Mauritius and Zambia, amongst others, will host local competitions for the first time, enlarging the impact of Seedstars mission in the continent. The winner from each country is invited to the final at the Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland to compete for up to UDS$ 1 Million in equity investment.

1) Applications

Step 1: Make sure you have a venture profile published on the VC4Africa platform with your most recent pitch deck attached.
Step 2: Apply to one of the 23 local events in Africa through the online form.

2) Pitching events

At each Local Event, up to 10 pre-selected startups are invited to pitch in front of an expert jury and quality audience to determine the winner. The event brings together key entrepreneurs, investors, corporates and institutions from the local ecosystem combined with a unique global Seedstars World flavour. The winner of each Local Event gets a free trip to Seedstars World Regional Summit where they will get to compete with the rest of the winners in the content. 50% of the winners in the continent will be invited to the Global summit in Switzerland, with a chance to win up to $ 1 Million in equity investment and more in cash and in-kind prizes.

3) Final Event

The winner of each Local Event will be invited to the Regional Summit, which will be destined in one of the countries in the Region and after winners from the continent will be invited to Switzerland to represent their startup and country at the global finals. The Final Event is a weeklong adventure consisting of a bootcamp, international conference and investor forum. It’s an amazing chance to meet with investors, build a global network and grow your business. And don’t forget there is up to USD 1000,000 mln investment on offer to the winning startup and additional money prizes!

Why compete?

Equity Investment
There is a prize package consisting of up to $ 1Million in equity investment and more in cash and in-kind prizes. You’ll be exposed to VCs, corporates, and angels searching for investment opportunities.

Coverage & Prestige

All Seedstars World events are heavily covered by local and international press with around 500 articles on us last year. Represent your country at the worldwide Seedstars Summit in front of an international audience.

Partnerships & Family

Join the close-knit Seedstars Family of talented entrepreneurs in 65+ countries. Find potential partners and business opportunities through the community and at the various events.

Learn & Grow

We hand pick top-quality mentors from all over the world with experience in relevant industries. Benefit from the knowledge of corporate leaders, serial entrepreneurs, accelerator directors and investors.

Time investment

If you get selected for a city event:

• 1-2 days for the Bootcamp hosted 2 – 3 days before the event
• 1 day for the Local competition (Open or Closed door)

If you win:
7 days, that includes:

• online application
• preparing for pitching event
• coaching
• travelling and attending the events.

Criteria

• Maximum USD 0.5m funding
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
• Need to use technology to solve a local or regional issue

Dates and deadlines for 2019

APPLY NOW

Seedstars World 2019