DEMO Africa, Apebi sign partnership to co-locate events in Morocco

Startup launchpad DEMO Africa has signed a partnership with the Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Offshoring (Apebi) that will see the two organisations co-locate their events on 24 and 25 October at the Sofitel Hotel in Rabat.

As part of the agreement, DEMO Africa and StarTex — the startup platform of Apebi’s Aitex flagship event — will jointly run the startup agenda at the event which is expected to bring 100 digital startups from across Africa onto one platform.

In a statement late last month, DEMO Africa said the startups will be selected through a rigorous selection process that both DEMO Africa and Apebi have been using for the past years.

DEMO Africa has been running its startup launchpad conference for the last seven years across different African cities. This year’s edition will be its second in Morocco, with last years edition having been hosted in Casablanca. Aitex has been running for the last three years, with its last events being hosted in Casablanca and Rabat.

With the partnership with DEMO Africa, Startex will now include keynote speakers, investor sessions, a talent corner, deal room, and product pitches

Commenting in the same statement, Apebi president Saloua Karkri Belkeziz said the organisation is “excited” to partner with DEMO Africa in this year’s initiative.

“We are confident that this partnership will produce better impact as we combine and leverage our individual organisational strengths to drive the innovation and investment agenda in the continent,” she added.

Apebi launched the StarTex programme during last year’s Aitex event with about 50 startups participating and showcasing different technologies to more than 1200 attendees.

With the partnership with DEMO Africa, the startup programme will be increased to include keynote speakers, investor sessions, a talent corner, deal room, and product pitches.

DEMO Africa founder and producer Harry Hare said the launchpad is “always happy” to partner with what “strong, like-minded” organisations like Apebi as such partnerships increase the impact of the work DEMO Africa does.

“Co-locating all our events at the same venue and the same time provides a critical mass of a C-level audience interested in the development of technology in Africa which we are proud to be a part of,” he said.

Featured image: DEMO Africa via Twitter