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DR Congo to host its first Digital Economy Summit in July

by Innov8tiv.com
dr congo

From July 6 to July 7 is organized in Kinshasa in the DRC:

The First International Conference on Investment in the Digital Economy and Startups in the DRC

While some African countries have initiated mechanisms in recent years to take advantage of the social, political and economic opportunities that digital technology brings to the continent’s populations through the development and/or adoption of innovative solutions to meet local needs ; The DRC has yet to fully benefit, however, it has reached a turning point, which requires it to address the issue of new technologies not just as a support mechanism for other sectors but as full-fledged sectors Job creation and wealth.

Konnect SAS in partnership with several national players such as the Federation des Enterprises du Congo (FEC- Private sector association), the Makutano network and the Silikon Bantu (the national cluster of Digital Actors) with support of Key players such Procredit Bank (from Equity Bank Group), is organizing this international conference on investment in the digital economy and startups in the DRC, which will also involve partners Such as: Demo-Africa; African Business Angel Network; European Business Angel Network, Venture Capital for Africa, NaiLab (first Kenyan incubator); Afrobytes and many other players in the digital economy in Africa and Europe.

The aim of the conference is to provide a platform for the creation of a strong digital and startups ecosystem, to share experiences about how the different actors have participated in building the ecosystem in their countries and to promote local investment for the emergence of startups in different sector such: EduTech (to meet the needs of the education sector), HealthTech (In the health sector), FinTech (promoting financial inclusion), E-commerce (offering the same level of qualities in good and service to the majority of the population), etc.

And

Seedstars Kinshasa 2017: The largest and most prestigious start-up competition in emerging countries is coming to DRC for the first time.

Seedstars World, the start-up competition for emerging countries, which began its new tour in Africa to find the best local startups and facilitate opportunities for collaboration and investment in African startups. For the 2017 edition, the Seedstars regional team will visit more than 23 cities in sub-Saharan Africa, including in new countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia, setting up local competitions and h8events. The winners will then be invited to Switzerland to compete for a capital investment of USD 500,000, as well as various other prizes.

Since the launch of Seedstars World, African startups have had considerable success with two startups having won the overall prize: SimplePay from Nigeria in 2013, and Giraffe from South Africa in 2015. In the last edition, Africa Reached a new record when two women entrepreneurs qualified for the top 12 of the final at the Seedstars Global Summit: Kasha of Rwanda, and Jamii of Tanzania. With the hope of continuing this success of African startups, Seedstars World resumes in 2017 on May 26th in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It is a unique opportunity for participants, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem actors to immerse themselves in the digital entrepreneurial world and gain a better understanding of the current dynamics of startups in Africa. The best startups in each country will have access to visibility and investment and mentoring opportunities. They will also have the opportunity to be part of a global network of entrepreneurs and investors from more than 80 countries and to represent their countries at the regional summit in Africa before going to Switzerland for the final phase of the competition.

Startups selected to participate in local Seedstars events must be less than 2 years old, have generated less than USD 500,000 in funding (investment) and have built a viable minimum product (MVP), ideally with a number of users assets.

With a strong network of regional partners such as Enel, Microsoft4Afrika, Orange, Merck, Trecc, Standard Bank and Deloitte, Seedstars World is looking for startups that solve regional problems and develop profitable products for the global market.

For more information: contact@konnect.cd – +243999231240

To register for the Conference click here.

For Congolese startups who want to register for the competition, use the following link

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