VivaTech expands its African focus with first-ever partnership with AfricArena, the premium coordinator of top African innovation solutions and rated as the largest accelerator spearheading the African digital revolution.
VivaTech proudly announces a formal partnership with AfricArena to mutually promote and grow African Tech excellence and build bridges between European and African entrepreneurial and investor arenas.
The partnership serves to build on the prominent feature on Afric@Tech at VivaTech2018 and the key theme of unlocking Africa as the future of big returns on tech investments.
VivaTech and AfricArena will collaborate to support and connect the new generation of entrepreneurs in their race to launch new products and services to improve the lives of African communities and commerce while conquering global markets.
AfricArena annually sources and showcases Africa’s best startups and African innovation solutions to local and international investors looking for world-class talent. Their global scouting tour positions the continent as a prominent and competitive player in the global village of technology.
The inaugural AfricArena2017 event brought together key figures in the international and African tech innovation ecosystem and saw 450+ attendees watching over 40 speakers and witnessing more than 2 million US dollars’ worth of deals being made.
The two-day conference paired more than 80 of Africa’s best startups with over 100 investors from across the globe, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really showcase Africa’s innovation talent.
Positioned as leading players in the market, VivaTech and AfricArena are additionally launching a joint innovation challenge to all African startups and companies to source the best innovation focused on the African continent. These entrants will undergo a challenge and pitching process from June and the top 3 finalists will be flown to Cape Town, South Africa to pitch at AfricArena on 15-16 November 2018. These winners will be accompanied by a VivaTech delegation.
“This partnership between two of the major ecosystem events in Africa and Europe will strengthen collaboration btw our respective ecosystems and facilitate our mission to bridge African startups with international investors and large corporations,” shares Christophe Viarnaud, CEO of AfricArena.
“As part of our Afric@Tech focus this year, we are thrilled to partner with Africarena and lay the foundations of a long-term and ambitious collaboration. This partnership is aiming at supporting and promoting more startups from the African continent and paying tribute to the vibrant energy of Africa’s promising entrepreneurial ecosystem” added Maxime Baffert, Co-Managing Director of Viva Technology.
