If you’re looking to raise $500k – $10m, apply for VC4A Venture Showcase Series A

In collaboration with AWS Activate, VC4A is presenting an opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to introduce their companies to players in Africa’s early-stage investment space.

Disruptive African scaleups looking to raise between $500K and $10M are invited to apply for the 2020 ‘Venture Showcase Series A’ which will be held in October as part of a virtual gathering of Africa-focused early-stage investors.

Since 2017, VC4A has showcased growth-stage startups as part of the annual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit, which reportedly has brought in a number of Series A deals totalling over $100m. Building on this success, the ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A’ positions deals-ready companies to its Africa focused network of over 150 early-stage investment firms built up over the years.

Ben White, Founder and Director of VC4A says the Venture Showcase — now in its fourth year — has established itself as the premier platform for presenting the best companies ready for Series A from across the continent.

“Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need to come together virtually as an industry and to collaborate on deals is more necessary than ever. Especially now, the world needs to recognize the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship taking up across the continent and the unique opportunity to be part of major success stories.”

How VC4A Venture Showcase Series A works

• • VC4A works closely with the African investment community to refer candidates to the showcase, involving investors in both the screening and selections process
• • Participating investors work with the selected companies to prepare their participation in the showcase, and to ensure the companies are representative of the best investment opportunities coming up from across the continent
• • The showcase sets the stage for deal making with Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and investors coming together to scale up the best companies.

This year cloud platform Amazon Web Services, through its AWS Activate programme, joins the Venture Showcase as a technical partner. “We’re very pleased to see AWS join in the shared mission to grow and help scale Africa’s best startups. AWS brings unparalleled expertise and global infrastructure into the mix, and where the Showcase companies receive direct access,” says Ben White.

Selected companies of the 2020 edition will digitally convene and engage the leading VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and public sector agencies.

The 2019 edition welcomed over 300 investors from prominent VC funds and African angel networks, such as EchoVC, Greentec, I&P, Proparco, Accion, Knife Capital, Ventures Platform, TLCom Capital, Blue Haven Initiative, VBAN, 4Di Capital, Lagos Angel Network, Total Ventures, AngelHub Ventures, Teranga Capital, Outlierz Ventures, HIMangel, Tencent, Silvertree Capital, GSMA, Orange Digital Ventures, among many others.

VC4A claims the 60 Venture Showcase alumni companies like Aerobotics, Coin Afrique, FinChatBot, FlexClub, 7Keema, Lifebank, MAX, Mobiz, Nawah Scientific, Rensource, Sendy and Shezlong raised over $100M in funding.

Benefits to selected companies

The 10 selected scale-ups of the 2020 edition will get:

• • To participate in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 150+ VC investment firms
• • Professional edited 3-minute virtual pitch videos
• • 30-minute deep-dive sessions with investors in a private room
• • Mentorship and pitch training by partner VC investors
• • Amazon Web Services credits from AWS Activate worth ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, as well as tools, resources, and more to get started quickly on AWS
• • To join the Showcase alumni network and gain exclusive access to fundraising opportunities

Eligibility

• • 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 $500K – $10M*;
  • 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 organisations.

How to apply

Interested entrepreneurs are invited to apply online before Friday, 14 August 2020. Investors who wish to refer to a company can reach thomas[at]vc4a.com.

The Series A program will be followed by a ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Seed’ track dedicated to startups raising their seed round ranging from 150K-750K USD.

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