Denis Opudo
Accra, Ghana’s capital city will host the forthcoming Startupbootcamp (SBC) Africa Accelerator program. The event provides an opportunity for many startups all over the world. It enables the startups to pitch their entrepreneurial idea to mentors. These mentors include the corporate executives, investors, and industry experts. The event will take place from 12th April 2018. The SBC sponsors include the Old Mutual, BNP Paribas, RCS, PwC, and Nedbank. During the event, startups present to the panelists for about two hours. Other benefits are partnering with the SBC community and global exposure through networking.
According to Zachariah George and Kiracofe who are the co-founders of SBC, the event seeks startups from diverse industries. Some of the disciplines include blockchain, capital markets, and connected devices. Other areas are asset management, supply chain, and payment solutions. Besides, there are the alternative financing, identity management, e-commerce, digital connectivity among others. The Head of Innovation at Old Mutual, Stanley Gabriel recommended the effort. He noted that SBC partnership helps in uplifting local startups to commercial businesses.
The SBC events are informal and organization globally. The mandate of this program is to mentor entrepreneurs, support network. The ten successful startups will get immediate feedback from the panelists. They will learn more pertaining SBC program and network with the SBC experts. Additionally, companies that attend the SBC have more chances for the final selection. During the final selection day, ten top startups will attend 3 months training. Cape Town will host the program starting in September this year.
All startups from eCommerce, CyberSecurity, FinTech, InsurTech, and RetailTech can apply here. SBC areas of focus entail P2P Lending, Personal Financial Management, Cross-border Transactions, and Payments. Other areas include Blockchain and Distributed Ledger, Big Data and Analytics, Insurance and Cyber Insurance. The SBC also includes Identity and Authentication, Financial Inclusion. The final accelerator online application deadline is May 24 this year.
