Kenya, which aims to become Africa’s technology Eldorado, is hosting the sixth edition of the Africa Tech Summit (ATS) from February 14 to 15, 2024. The annual African technology event will bring together over 1,000 technology leaders, mobile network operators, financial institutions such as the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ), CEOs, trade bodies, entrepreneurs and leading companies at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. The aim is to stimulate investment and business in the African technology sector.
The two-day event will feature workshops on mobile growth and trends in Africa, new opportunities in FinTech, Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi), and innovative technology finance to combat climate change. While the African continent suffers disproportionately from this phenomenon, the risks are no less significant. From falling agricultural productivity to drought-related deaths and floods, the risks are no less significant.
Start-ups need to raise between $500,000 and $15 million
The Africa Tech Summit is also intended as a showcase for start-ups seeking funding and support for their development, both in Africa and beyond. Over 250 applications were received from various African countries, and 10 startups were finally selected, in the fields of fintech, agri-tech, e-commerce, Web3 and climate-tech. They are Kenyan, Nigerian, Egyptian and Ugandan.
The start-ups will present their solutions to an audience of industry experts, investors and other innovators on February 14 and 15 in Nairobi. Among them is Node Bio, which uses cutting-edge plant science to develop a crop treatment that effectively combats the adverse effects of climate change in Kenya.
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The other climate start-up expected at the Africa Tech Summit is Peercarbon. The Kenyan climate fintech company leverages granular emissions data and cutting-edge sustainable finance technology to empower African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The other eight start-ups selected are: Tausi App, Urbanet, Dukka, Bingtellar, Feegor, Regxta, FutureLink Technologies, Valu. All are hoping to raise between $500,000 and $15 million in Nairobi.
Inès Magoum