Deadline Extended: Africa Innovation Summit Innovation Track and Exhibition for Disruptive Solutions to Africa’s Challenges 2018

The Africa Innovation Summit (AIS II), which will take place, under the esteemed patronage of His Excellences President Paul Kagame and Pedro Pires (ex-President of Cabo Verde), announced a call for applications to innovators across Africa whose solutions have the potential to solve the continent’s challenges.

Application Deadline: 15th April 2018 (from 30th March).

Eligible Countries: African countries

To Be Taken At (Country): Kigali, Rwanda

About the Award: The AIS II seeks innovative and disruptive solutions to the major challenges facing African countries, which include energy access, water, food insecurity, health systems, and governance.

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As a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and actions, AIS II will bring together people with the power to act, from all parts of the continent and elsewhere, including Heads of States and Governments, Ministers, corporates, innovators, investors, policy makers and academics, researchers, as well as policy, science and technology experts, with the aim of building robust ecosystems for innovation in Africa to ensure Africa’s structural transformation.

The AIS has partnered with Enterpriseroom, a transformation consultancy specializing in starting, sustaining, and accelerating businesses, to drive the sourcing and selection of up to 50 Innovations across the continent, to be showcased at the Summit.

Type: Entrepreneurship

Eligibility: This opportunity is open to solutions that comply with the following criteria listed below – solutions that are:

• African-based and operating from one or more African countries
• Founded and managed by African nationals
• Either for profit, non-profit or hybrid entities (i.e. social enterprises)
• Solving one or more challenges that directly affect Africa in the following sectors (and/or any related value chains):
  • Food security and agriculture (SDG 2)
  • Energy (SDG 7)
  • Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)
  • Healthcare (SDG 3) and
  • Governance
• Scalable: A solution that has the capability and potential to be enlarged and replicated to extend the reach of its mandate.
• Innovative: A solution that addresses a challenge in a new and different way often through a simpler and more effective means.

Selection Criteria: 

• Existing solutions that are ready to scale for greater impact and reach
• Existing solutions that are registered in country i.e. business registration number or NGO certification
• Established solutions or ideas that can already prove a minimal viable product (MVP)
• Established solutions or ideas that can demonstrate evidence of tracked impact
• Established solutions that can demonstrate innovation – either in terms of actual product or service or delivery model (i.e. broad-base market reach)

Value of Award: 

• The identified innovators will meet influential people, policy makers, and investors who are ready to discuss Africa’s development challenges and ways to solve them.
• They will also have the opportunity to interact with like-minded African innovators and change agents who are driving a new era of change in Africa.
• It should be noted that flight and accommodation costs for participation in AIS will be covered for the top selected innovations.

Duration of Program:  6-8 June 2018

How to Apply: Applications and additional information can be found Here

Visit the Program Webpage for Details