MEST Africa Challenge 2019: Win a Trip to Nairobi and $50,000 Equity Investment

Launched in 2008 and headquartered in Accra Ghana, MEST is a Pan-African training program, seed fund, incubator and hub for technology entrepreneurs in Africa, providing critical skills training in software development, business and communications, as well as seed funding and incubation. MEST is funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence and Outside Insight.

Applications are now open for the 2019 MEST Africa Challenge. The pitch competition is open for scale-ups based in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa or Cote d’Ivoire that are ready to expand into new markets.

Country winners from each region will thereafter, move to the finals at the MEST Africa Summit in Nairobi to compete for up to $50,000 in equity investment and a range of other support to accelerate their Pan-African scale-up.

MEST Africa Summit is the Pan-African tech conference which brings together top

entrepreneurs, investors, executives and ecosystem players from across Africa, Silicon Valley, Europe and Asia to explore the latest innovations and rising stars in the tech and startup space on the continent.

Top companies in each region will also be invited to pitch at regional events in Accra, Nairobi, Lagos, Cape Town and Abidjan. The regional pitch events will be held on the following dates, at MEST Incubator locations or local partners

• Accra: Wednesday, February 27
• Nairobi: Wednesday, February 27
• Lagos: Thursday, February 28
• Cape Town: Thursday, February 28
• Abidjan: Thursday, February 28

Eligibility

Interested companies must;

• Be post-revenue tech business
• Operate in the market in which they are applying
• Be primarily tech-focused

Benefits

Winners will receive;

• Up to $50,000 equity investment from MEST
• A space in the MEST incubator of their choice
• The chance to pitch at the finals on a global stage at the 2019 MEST Africa Summit in Nairobi.

Method of Application

An interested start-up should apply on or before Friday, 15 February 2019.