DEMO Africa 2014 entries close, judges announced

VC4Africa Founder, Ben White, confirmed that Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana have the highest applicants while the areas that have attracted the highest number of applications include Communication, Retail and Media & Entertainment.

"The entrepreneurs who are accepted as applicants should make sure their profiles are brushed up to convince the judges," he added.

Shortlisting best 40

The applications will be vetted by an executive panel comprising experts in business and tech. The panel is tasked with the responsibility of shortlisting the best 40 from the applications submitted from across the region.

The jurists who have been hand-picked based on their experience and contribution to the start-up scene in Africa include:

• Dele Akinsade (Nigeria),
  
• Stephen Gugu (Kenya),
  
• Bob Mbori (Tanzania),
  
• Victor Okigbo (Nigeria),
  
• Ali Hussein (Kenya),
  
• Rebecca Enonchong (Cameroon),
  
• Moses Sitati (Kenya),
  
• Kevin Schuster (Ghana),
  
• Martin Burtler (South Africa),
  
• Muchiri Nyaga (Kenya),
  
• Lukonga Lindunda (Zambia),
  
• Toby Shapshak (South Africa),
  
• Richard Tanksley (Ghana)

Harry Hare, the DEMO Africa Executive producer, exuded confidence in the group. "The jury is composed of highly experienced individuals and I am positive that they will pick the best by global standards."

Commenting on his role in the jury, Ali Hussein one of the judges from Kenya, expressed optimism in the applicants. "Having been a judge in the previous DEMO Africa, I know there is a tough task ahead. The applications are usually very competitive. It's not easy to decide who makes it to the final 40. However, our decision will be based on the ability to link creativity, innovation, effectiveness and scalability."

The best 40 startups will have a chance to launch their products to an ecosystem of VCs, investors, tech acquisition specialists, IT buyers and media from across the region and around the globe. Before launching, the startups will undergo a one and a half month coaching and mentorship program organised by DEMO Africa and the US State Department. The program will be coordinated by Dr Susan Amat, CEO, VentureHive and will include both local and international mentors and coaches.

Event details

As has been witnessed in the previous events, the September event is expected to attract top notch African investors. DEMO Africa 2014 is scheduled to take place from 22-26 September at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria. This year's event is being organised in collaboration with the LIONS@FRICA partners (Microsoft, Nokia, US State Department, DEMO, USAID, African Development Bank, VC4Africa among others) and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies.

Participants registration is already open on www.eventbrite.com.The secretariat has put together a special package for investor delegates. For more, go to www.vc4africa.biz.