Pitching competition Seedstars World heading to Mali for the first time

Global seed startup competition Seedstars World is heading to Mali for the first time. The competition will be looking for the ten best startups from the country.

“We are constantly expanding into new countries to learn about ecosystems and discover new talent. We are therefore very excited to come to Mali for the first time and see what the country has to offer,” writes associate for Seedstars World Claudia Makadristo in a press release to Ventureburn.

The winner of the Mali round will go on to compete with over 60 other startups in the finals in Switzerland next year. There they will participate in a week-long boot camp, followed by the final pitching session.

Contestants will be competing for the opportunity to win up to US$1-million in investment, as well as networking benefits from individuals around the world.

The competition is looking for startups who are less than two years old, have received less than US$50 000 in funding, and have a minimum viable product.

“Seedstars World is an amazing opportunity for the best entrepreneurs of emerging countries to be identified. The selected start-ups “those that will shape our future” will benefit from access to a great network and community, media exposure and overall the opportunity to connect with leading investors,” says co-founder and CEO of Impact Hub, Mohamed Keita.

Seedstars World is working with Impact Hub Bamako for this leg of the competition, as well as receiving support from Orange and Azalai Hotels Group.

“Orange is a strategic partner in Africa and the Middle-East with its 110+ million customers. It plans to play a leading role in supporting the digital transformation of the African continent and to be a major partner to the whole digital ecosystem, from startups to large companies,” says project manager of business development for Orange, Edgar Kra.

The event will take place in Bamako, Mail, on 4 September.

Those wanting to apply can do so through the Seedstars World website.

Feature image: upyernoz via Flickr.