Since 2017, VC4A has showcased growth-stage startups as part of the annual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit, resulting in a number of Series A deals totalling over $100M. Building on this success, the ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A’ positions deal ready companies as a central component VC4A offers to its Africa focused network of over 150 early-stage investment firms built up over the years. This is an exclusive opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to introduce their companies at once to everyone who’s anyone in Africa’s early-stage investment space.
Ben White, founder and director from VC4A adds: “The Venture Showcase - now in its 4th year - has established itself as the premier platform for presenting the best companies ready for Series A from across the continent. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need to come together virtually as an industry and to collaborate on deals is more necessary than ever. Especially now, the world needs to recognize the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship taking up across the continent and the unique opportunity to be part of major success stories.”
VC4A works closely with the African investment community to refer candidates to the showcase, involving investors in both the screening and selections process. Participating investors work with the selected companies to prepare their participation in the showcase, and to ensure the companies are representative of the best investment opportunities coming up from across the continent. The showcase sets the stage for deal making with Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and investors coming together to scale up the best companies.
This year cloud platform Amazon Web Services, through its AWS Activate (https://AWS.amazon.com/Activate) program, joins the Venture Showcase as a technical partner. "We’re very pleased to see AWS join in the shared mission to grow and help scale Africa's best startups. AWS brings unparalleled expertise and global infrastructure into the mix, and where the Showcase companies receive direct access," says Ben White.
Selected companies of the 2020 edition will digitally convene and engage the leading VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and public sector agencies. The 2019 edition welcomed over 300 investors from prominent VC funds and African angel networks, such as EchoVC, Greentec, I&P, Proparco, Accion, Knife Capital, Ventures Platform, TLCom Capital, Blue Haven Initiative, VBAN, 4Di Capital, Lagos Angel Network, Total Ventures, AngelHub Ventures, Teranga Capital, Outlierz Ventures, HIMangel, Tencent, Silvertree Capital, GSMA, Orange Digital Ventures, among many others. The 60 Venture Showcase alumni companies like Aerobotics, Coin Afrique, FinChatBot, FlexClub, 7Keema, Lifebank, MAX, Mobiz, Nawah Scientific, Rensource, Sendy and Shezlong raised the astonishing amount of over $100.000.000.
The 10 selected scale-ups of the 2020 edition will get:
- To participate in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 150+ VC investment firms
- Professional edited 3-minute virtual pitch videos
- 30-minute deep-dive sessions with investors in a private room
- Mentorship and pitch training by partner VC investors
- Amazon Web Services credits from AWS Activate worth ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, as well as tools, resources, and more to get started quickly on AWS
- To join the Showcase alumni network and gain exclusive access to fundraising opportunities
- Interested entrepreneurs are invited to apply via this page (https://bit.ly/2UTmrtU) before 14 August 2020. Investors who wish to refer a company can contact Thomas van Halen at thomas@vc4a.com.
The Series A program will be followed by a ‘VC4A Venture Showcase - Seed’ track dedicated to startups raising their seed round ranging from 150K-750K USD. Keep an eye out on the VC4A platform for the launch in July 2020.
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