SA Innovation Summit Brings Startup World Cup to South Africa [SPONSORED]

Global startup conference, Startup World Cup, is partnering with the SA Innovation Summit to host its first ever South African regional competition. This regional competition will be held on 22 and 23 September 2016 as part of the annual SA Innovation Summit event in Johannesburg in the Ventureburn Pitching Den.

Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging startup ecosystems worldwide. There will be 15 regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, leading up to the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley. This is the first ever event of its type, organised by Fenox Venture Capital, a Silicon Valley-based multinational VC firm.

South Africa’s innovation ‘event of the year’ is back! This year’s SA Innovation Summit, which is taking place from 21 to 24 September 2016 in Ekurhuleni, is appealing to all startups and fast-growing companies less than seven years old to enter the Ventureburn Pitching Den competition. Prizes include mingling with European markets at the Slush conference in Finland, sponsored by TEKES and Beam, R 50 000 for the best Social Innovation from SAB Foundation as well scouts for the best technologies that can be applied in other markets such as early childhood development. The finalists will receive huge market exposure in South Africa, Europe and the United States.

The winner of the SA Innovation Summit pitching competition will represent South Africa at the Grand Finale and will compete alongside 15 other startups from all over the world for a chance to win a US$1-million prize in investment. To enter, go to http://innovationsummit.co.za/sa-innovation-legends-pitching-den/.

The closing date for the SA leg is 21 August 2016 and the finalists will compete on 22 and 23 September at the SA Innovation Summit to determine the SA winner.

The Grand Finale will take place in San Francisco, USA on 24 March, 2017. Eric Feng of Kleiner Perkins, David Cohen of Techstars, Kevin Hale of Y Combinator, Tim Draper of DFJ, and Adeo Ressi of Founder Institute will be on the distinguished judging panel that will decide which startup wins the US$1-million prize. Additional judges will be disclosed at a later time.

“I am very happy to bring Startup World Cup to Johannesburg as a part of our SA Innovation Summit event and I’m proud that we will select a startup to represent South Africa in the Startup World Cup Finale,” said Audrey Verhaeghe, Chairman of the SA Innovation Summit, “I hope the South Africa startup becomes the world champion.”

Through this global event, the SA Innovation Summit will be giving the South African startups exposure to Silicon Valley and access to some of the top VCs and tech entrepreneurs in the world, creating funding and partnership opportunities.

South African startups are encouraged to apply on the Innovation Summit competitions page.