Deadline: 30 June 2017
The Diaspora Challenge is currently open for applications to mobilise the Diaspora community to build scalable business solutions to social challenges in Africa.
Thematic Areas
The challenge is seeking business ideas that make an impact in these 3 critical sectors:
- Education
- How might we harness the potential of technology to bridge the education gap and unlock the potential of the young people of Africa?
- FinTech
- How might we connect the unserved & underserved population in Africa to affordable financial services using readily available technology?
- Energy
- How might we use technology to effectively distribute clean and affordable energy to homes & industries across Africa?
Benefits
- Prototype Funding
- $15,000 per idea to fund prototype development
- Business Advisory
- Provide insight in support of strategic planning & execution
- Seed Investment
- On the path for up to $250,000 seed investment from Growth Capital
- Market Access & Network
- Connect to strategic partners in African countries to support market entry processes
- Mentorship
- Connect to mentors to provide honest & constructive feedback as well as industry guidance when necessary
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible a business idea must answer the following questions
- Does the idea solve a clear problem/issue that affects a large number of people in Africa?
- Does the idea improve on an existing process/solution or is it completely new i.e. hasn’t been done locally?
- Does the solution leverage digital technology (web or mobile) for its execution?
- Has the time been taken to research the problem/issue and have a clear picture of the target segment it affects?
- Have (or have access to) the skills to implement proposed solution?
- Prepared to spend the next nine (9) months building the solution and going out to understand potential uses?
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Cote d’Ivorie, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
For more information, please visit The Diaspora Challenge.