The 4th Nairobi Innovation Week is scheduled for March 5-9, 2018.
The theme of this year’s innovation week is “Innovating for a Better Tomorrow” and as part of the scheduled activities, 100 Kenyan startups are expected to pitch to seed stage or growth investors. From this number, the 15 most promising ideas will qualify to sell their ideas to potential investors and partners. To be eligible for seed capital, your startup should be solving a genuine problem using an innovative solution. To access growth capital, the startup needs to have a credible team, have a clear plan for scale-up, and demonstrate that you have been able to monitor progress and meet set goals.
The annual event, convened by the University of Nairobi, brings together partners from various sectors with the aim of offering a platform to showcase and encourage innovation. This is also an opportune time for startups to network and share knowledge. To ensure that the selection process is done impartially and that due diligence is done, the organizing committee has partnered with several partners including UNICEF, Villgro Kenya, Swahilipot Hub, iHub, iBizAfrica, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
Apart from pitching, there are over 50 other side events. These include workshops, boot camps, seminars, exhibitions, and breakfast meetings. While the overall objective of the event is to offer a platform through which innovative and scalable startups can access seed or growth funding, other objectives include strengthening collaboration and creating networks between support institutions and development partners and offering a platform for investors and buyers to be part of the growth of innovative and impactful startups.
Lack of funding is one of the main challenges faced by startups in Kenya and many parts of the world. The Nairobi Innovation Week is thus a perfect platform through which the funding challenges of startups can be addressed systematically.
The 2017 innovation week was held from 6th to 10th March 2017 where a number of startups showcased their innovative business ideas. One of the highlights of this event is that those who pitched their businesses during the 2016 event shared their journey thus far particularly on the strides they have made to drive business growth.
Women & tech, March 8th, and the Nairobi Innovation Week
The innovation week will be officially opened on the 7th March. The 8th of March is International Women’s Day and UNESCO is set to lead a session that will celebrate and encourage women in technology. There are several women revolutionizing things in the tech space thus an effort to celebrate their contributions and at the same time encourage young women to venture into the tech space will be a kind gesture. Also, “women & tech” is among the sub-themes that will take center stage at the event. This should also be the apt time to address the inequality issue in tech as well as announce plans that have been put in place to encourage women to take up tech courses.
To learn more about Nairobi Innovation Week 2018 including the scheduled events, visit the website.
Leave a Reply