Tech Crunch and Facebook are collaborating to bring TechCrunch’s very first Startup Battlefield to Nairobi, on October 11.
The pitch-off competition features 15 startups from all over Africa in three categories: Productivity and Utility, Social Good, and Gaming and Entertainment. Top notch investors and founders, as well as TechCrunch editors, will serve as judges to pick the winners in each category as well as an overall winner – the best early stage startup in sub-Saharan Africa.
The experience with Startup Battlefield, one of the world’s premier startup competitions, aims at opening up Sub-Saharan Africa to discover great early stage companies that have created technology to solve problems and develop the ecosystem within the region.
The event kicks off tomorrow at 9 am and will also be able via Livestream here:
The TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa event is aimed at celebrating and uncovering the best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs in sub Saharan Africa.
TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield is the world’s preeminent startup competition. The Battlefield features 15-30 top early stage startups pitching top judges in front of a vast live audience, present in person and online. The winner takes away the Disrupt Cup and check for $50,000, and all the contestants enjoy immense press, investor and partner attention, along with membership in the elite ranks of Battlefield alums.
The Startup Battlefield Africa Finalists are attempting to revolutionize access to goods and services across the continent and beyond: They are trying to take the guesswork out of investing, dramatically decreasing logistics costs, scalably triaging health care through telemedicine, and feeding the demand for African digital content.
Over the last two months, these 15 Startups have refined their business models, demos, and messaging with TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield team and Editors.
This will culminate onstage with a five-minute pitch and live demo in front of an audience of investors, entrepreneurs, technologists abd those watching through the livestream.
Some members from the Facebook team will be in attendance including Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships, Ime Archibong, Facebook’s HEad of Platform Partnerships for MEA, Emeka Afigbo and from the Connectivity team, Uche Ofodile.
One overall winner – ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup’ – will win $25,000 USD and an all-expense paid trip for two to San Francisco to compete in TechCrunch’s flagship event.
Winners will also join TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Alumni Network. Alumni have collectively raised nearly $7 billion and produced nearly 100 exits and IPOs to date.
