Deadline: January 29, 2023
Are you an African ocean-impact startup? Are you looking for strategic partners or investors? Apply for the Ocean Innovation Africa Pitch Competition 2023. For the 4th consecutive year, Ocean Innovation Africa will give the most innovative African ocean-impact startups the exposure they deserve.
The annual Ocean Innovation Africa Summit is the principal gathering of investors, industry players and public authorities working towards ocean sustainability in Africa and has become a benchmark for ocean innovation on the continent.
This is your moment to connect with ocean-focused Angel Investors, VCs, industry experts, corporates and grant providers by becoming a finalist in the OIA pitch competition.
Benefits
Finalists will get the following:
- Pitch on Stage – present your innovation to a top-level audience including investors, authorities, and leading corporations
- Delegate Pass to summit – attend the Ocean Innovation Africa summit to learn, share, and connect
- Networking – interact and meet with key players in the African Blue Economy Ecosystem
- Mentoring – benefit from a 1:1 mentoring session to improve and adapt your pitch for the competition
- Media coverage – inclusion in Ocean Innovation Africa’s media kit as one of the must watch ocean innovators in Africa
- Travel Subsidy – receive up to R7,500 towards your travel costs if coming from outside of Cape Town
- Accommodation – finalists from outside of Cape Town will be receive 4 nights free accommodation with breakfast included
Winners will get:
- Cash prizes sponsored by the French Embassy in South Africa:
- First Prize: R15,000
- Second Prize: R11,250
- Third Prize: R7,500
- Selection to take part in Monaco Ocean Week – receive a fully funded trip from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to take part in the Ocean Innovators Platform at Monaco Ocean Week, from March 21 to 23, 2023
Eligibility
- Open to an entrepreneur operating in Africa, with the potential to disrupt how the ocean’s three main challenges – overexploitation, pollution, climate change – are being tackled on the continent.
- Your start-up is ocean-minded: it has a direct or indirect positive impact on the oceans (addressing climate change, pollution or over-exploitation of the ocean).
- You have a revenue generating business model and operate in Africa.
- You have a scalable service or product available on the market or soon to be available on the market.
- Your company has been incorporated for less than 3 years.
- Your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is disruptive.
- Capacity to be in Cape Town (South Africa) in-person on February 21-24, 2023 (up to R7,500 reimbursement for costs of visa, return flight tickets, food and on-site transport expenses; accommodation and delegate pass to summit provided).
Selection Criteria
- Impact & Vision: social, environmental and economic impacts
- Business Model: Market and traction, commercial value, strategy for growth and scalability
- Team: Expertise and background, ambition and passion
- Technology: Innovation, reliability, adaptability, scalability
Application
The following documents are needed to submit your application:
- Pitch Deck (max 12 slides)
- CV/Resume
- Certificate of Incorporation (if already incorporated)
- A 2-minute video to introduce yourself (name, background) and your business (problem tackled, service/products, your expected economic, social, and environmental impact, size of the team, how you relate to the programme)
- Copy of valid passport
