GITEX Africa 2024 Plans to Showcase 100 Nigerian Startups in Morocco

The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) is extending an invitation to approximately 100 Nigerian startups to participate in the second edition of GITEX Africa, scheduled to be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in May 2024. Last year, only seven Nigerian tech startups were among the 450 global startups that took part in the event. Notable participants included:

1. Famasi Africa: A pharmacy platform connecting users to pharmacies, offering a dashboard for ordering, tracking, and refilling medications with personalized support.
2. Akowe: A blockchain-based solution for the digital issuance and verification of academic records, facilitating bulk certificate issuance for educators and credential verification for students and employers.
3. Bus54: A mobility tech venture aiming to revolutionize intercity bus transportation in Africa, streamlining booking processes for passengers, providing digital operations for transport operators, and facilitating eco-friendly bus financing and insurance.
4. Flowmono: A SaaS platform for APIs and tools, assisting organizations with e-signatures, document storage, sharing, and process digitization, particularly in banking for quick document signing, account opening, and KYC processes.
5. ForisLabs: An edtech startup offering a gamified 3D virtual science laboratory, allowing students to transform any space into a realistic simulation of hands-on science experiments.
6. Genesis360: A fintech leveraging technology to democratize access to consumer credit for food, enabling food retail stores to provide affordable payment options and accept repayments in installments.
7. Alusoft Technologies Ltd: An edtech platform providing a suite of products for educators, parents, and students, with EduPorch offering a complete educational information processing and management tool for schools.

During a stakeholders meeting on February 27, 2024, the Digital Development Agency, the event organizer, expressed its commitment to expanding Nigeria’s representation at GITEX Africa. This decision is motivated by the substantial contributions of Nigerian tech companies to the development of the African tech ecosystem.

Participating startups will have the opportunity to vie for a $100,000 prize awarded to the startup with the most compelling innovation. Additionally, there are other prizes up for grabs, including the Young African CEO award, which comes with a monetary prize.

This year’s event introduces the World Future Health Africa initiative, designed to bring more focus to the digital health space, addressing challenges related to the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in Africa. GITEX notes that funding for digital health companies and projects on the continent remains low due to a complex and divergent regulatory landscape, discouraging potential investors and hindering crucial financial support for the sector.

The selection of the 100 startups will be conducted in collaboration with accelerators and stakeholders working alongside the Digital Development Agency. GITEX, recognized as the largest tech gathering in Africa, provides startups with a platform to showcase their innovations to a diverse group of investors from various countries, including Nigeria. Furthermore, it offers an invaluable opportunity for startups to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, founders of global and local companies, and engage with regulators across the continent.

Post-event onboarding initiatives connect startups with investors in their respective industries. GITEX also organizes programs facilitating meetings between startups and potential clients, including government agencies seeking innovative solutions tailored to their specific challenges.

While GITEX maintains a sector-agnostic approach, the organizers keenly follow market trends, favoring startups in artificial intelligence, fintech, agrotech, and healthtech. Preference is often given to startups with products already in the market, emphasizing the need for founders to present tested and market-viable ideas to attract investor interest.