SA: Ocean-minded African startups to pitch at the Ocean Innovation Africa 2021

African startups will have an opportunity to pitch their ocean-minded businesses to an international audience of corporate leaders and investors.

From 5 – 9 November 2021, world leaders will gather in-person and online for the Ocean Impact ecosystem held at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The meet will showcase development opportunities in Africa’s blue economy and establish meaningful collaborations fixated on growth. Keny notes, workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions, and startup pitches will highlight the event.

Based in Cape Town, Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA) aims to catalyze development at a pace and scale that matches the environmental crisis. OceanHub Africa, the Cape Town accelerator startup and Catalyze Events, will assemble together top ecosystem players. The event is supported by French software giant Dassault Systèmes, the City of Cape Town, and the French Embassy.

African startups will have an opportunity to pitch their ocean-minded businesses to an international audience of corporate leaders and investors. Winning competitors will receive cash prizes and mentorship facilitated by OceanHub Africa’s expert network. All eligible applicants will get a free online booth for more event exposure.

To participate, startups must be post-revenue for the last 3 years, have a direct or indirect impact on the ocean, and offer scalable products and services on or yet to enter the market. The top three winners will receive ZAR 15,000, 11,250, and 7,500 respectively.

2021 is the first time an African city will take center stage of the 15 cities competing to solve the complex challenges facing our oceans. The African Chapter of the Ocean Hackathon will run from the 5th to the 7th of November and is backed by the Two Oceans Aquarium, French investment bank Société Générale, Zindi, and marine consultancy CLS SA. Local teams will work on creating building AI-based ocean-impact algorithms as they compete for a spot in the final to be held in Brest, France.

Here are the dates

5th Nov – live conference & expo
(6 – 7) Nov – Hackathon
(8 – 9) Nov – online conference & expo

Programme details and registration here.