Innovate much? SA Innovation Summit competitions might be just for you

The SA Innovation Summit is back this year, showcasing some of the country’s most exciting talents and ideas in Cape Town.

While the eighth event of its kind will host a range of speakers and exhibit the latest innovations from across different industries, it’s also inviting inventors, entrepreneurs and companies to pitch their ideas and businesses. There will be two competitions at the SA Innovation Summit this year: The PwC Pitching Den and The Inventors’ Garage.

There are two categories for the PwC Pitching Den catering for startups as well as emerging companies with tech-enabled solutions. Startups have a chance to win a share of R50 000 worth of cash prizes, as well as IP consultation services.

The top 10 up-and-coming companies, on the other hand, will enter into PwC’s mentorship programme with access to local and global industry leaders and strategic advisors providing them with valuable guidance on their growth plans.

The overall winner of the 2015 Vision to Reality Awards Programme wins a trip to the value of over R100 000 to attend and present at the global PwC Accelerator conference.

Competition closes 30 June and the results of the first round of judging will be made known by the end of July.

Who is eligible for the PwC Vision to Reality Competition 2015?

Entries are restricted to private or public high-growth tech-enabled companies that:

• Are either controlled or headquartered on the African continent;
• Have their management team and R&D activities located on the African continent;
• Own proprietary technology or have intellectual property that contributes to a significant portion of operating revenue; and
• Provide technology-enabled solutions spanning across any industry. Particular areas of interest include software and cloud-based solutions, big data, cyber security, fintech and agrifood processing.
• Criteria

To be eligible for nomination, the business needs to comply with at least three of the below criteria:

• Record a turnover of more than R25-million per annum currently or within the next 24 months.
• Demonstrate high growth potential or increasing market share.
• Demonstrate scalability.
• Be close to achieving break-even or profitability.
• Have national or international expansion plans with a high level of commitment by your shareholders and management team

For more information on the competitions, click here.

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