Mest Africa Challenge 2020
  • May 1 - 22, 2020

The MEST Africa Challenge is the African tech startup pitch competition for early-stage companies based in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Senegal, Ethiopia or Tanzania.

Winners of each country’s semi-final competition will compete in the Challenge finals at the MEST Africa Summit 2020. Finalists will compete on a global stage in front of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners and ecosystem players for the chance to win $50k in investment from the Meltwater Foundation, and the opportunity to join the MEST Africa incubator community.

Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.

Applications for this year’s Challenge are open till April 18, 2020, and the top 10 startups will pitch at MEST Incubator locations or local partners offices on the following dates (exact dates subject to change if the Challenge moves to online):

  • Lagos, Nigeria: Friday, May 1st
  • Johannesburg, South Africa: Monday, May 4th
  • Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Friday, May 8th
  • Accra, Ghana: Monday, May 11th
  • Nairobi, Kenya: Monday, May 11th
  • Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire: Tuesday, May 12th
  • Kigali, Rwanda: Thursday, May 14th
  • Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Monday, May 18th
  • Dakar, Senegal: Friday, May 22nd

MEST is an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, internal seed fund, and network of hubs offering incubation for technology startups in Africa. Founded in Ghana in 2008, MEST provides critical skills training, funding, and support in software development, business, and communications to Africa’s tech entrepreneurs. Hubs are located in Accra, Lagos, Cape Town, and Nairobi.

Benefits

  • Panels, roundtable discussions, and workshops will address the most pressing topics facing African tech entrepreneurs.
  • Opportunity to join in MAS Launch Party, MAS Conference Day, VIP Dinner and Farewell Party.
  • Win up to $50k equity investment and become a part of the MEST community

Eligibilities

  • For early-stage companies of African Tech startup, innovators & entrepreneurs.
  • Criteria:
    • Pre-seed or seed-stage (have raised $100k total or less cumulatively since inception)
    • Currently generating revenue
    • Can demonstrate traction in one or more of the nine MAC Markets (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda)
    • Has been in operations for 2 years or less
    • Tech-enabled (software company)
    • Industry agnostic
    • Any business model (B2B, B2C, B2B2C, B2G etc…)
    • Francophone applicants must pitch in English
Eligible Regions: African Countries

Application Process

Apply online through the given link.

Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.

Application Deadline: April 18, 2020

Application ClosedOfficial link

For Further Queries

For inquiries, please email us at [email protected]
Disclaimer: Youth Opportunities spreads opportunities for your convenience and ease based on available information, and thus, does not take any responsibility of unintended alternative or inaccurate information. As this is not the official page, we recommend you to visit the official website of opportunity provider for complete information. For organizations, this opportunity is shared with sole purpose of promoting “Access to Information” for all and should not be associated with any other purposes.

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