VC4A is looking for 10 innovative, high-growth scale-ups to showcase at Africa Early Stage Investor Summit on Nov 13-14 in Cape Town. Are you operating in Africa, generating revenue and looking to raise your Series A round in the range of $250K and $5M? This is the opportunity you’ve been looking for!
In 2017-2018, we showcased 30 scale-ups from across the continent as part of the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit, resulting in a number of Series A deals totalling over $15M. Building on this success, the ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A’ is now a central component of our annual Summit. This is an exclusive opportunity to introduce your company at once to everyone who’s anyone in Africa’s early-stage investment space.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the 2019 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A:
- Your company is for-profit and registered as an independent legal entity;
- You have a product or service available on the market and generate revenue;
- Your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is new, disruptive and designed for scale;
- You have a very strong management team of at least 3 people; Your team is based in one or more countries on the African continent;
- At least one of the founders has an African nationality;
- You are seeking Series A investment in the range of $250K – $5M;
- While there will be exceptions, most likely your startup has already received external investment, structured as either debt or equity, or received grants from donor organizations.
Benefits:
- All-expenses-paid trip to Cape Town on Nov 10-16, 2019
- 3 min pitch in front of 300+ investors at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit
- 30 min deep-dive session with investors in a private room
- Two days of networking with investors, including Speaker Cocktail and Industry Leaders dinner
- Mentorship and pitch training by partner VC investors
- Opportunity to attend and pitch at partner event AfricaCom
Selection Criteria:
Commercial Value of your Product/Service (25%)
Your company addresses a real problem in the market. Your product or service is different from others in the industry. Your business model is new and designed for scale.
Strategy for Growth (25%)
The market size is significant and there is potential to expand locally and into new markets. Your startup is scalable and has a clear strategy for growth. You can show demonstrable progress.
Management Team (25%)
Your team has the qualifications needed to make the business successful.
Market Traction & Financials (25%)
We will evaluate your market traction, revenue streams, and unit economics. If any outside funding has been raised before, it’s a plus.
Timeline:
| Jun 1 – Jul 31 | Application period |
| Aug 1 – Sep 15 | Selection process / investor review / interviews |
| Sep 15 | Showcase participants announced |
| Sep 15 – Nov 10 | Working on presentations with mentors (VC investors) |
| Nov 12 | Pitch practice with investor feedback |
| Nov 13 | AfricaCom and AHUB participation |
| Nov 14 | VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A at Africa Early Stage Investor Summit |
| Nov 15 | Innovation tour |
Expectations:
If you are selected for the 2019 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A, you are expected to:
- Engage with assigned mentors (partner VC investors) and VC4A team to prepare your 3-minute and 20-minute presentations, as well as 2-pages with investor data as part of the deal book;
- Be prepared to travel to Cape Town in the period of November 10-16, 2019 to attend the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit and be part of the VC4A Venture Showcase.
How to Apply:
To get started, click here and the application closes on July 31st, 2019.
