The GEC+Africa Regional Pitch Competition is searching for the continent’s most ambitious founders. If you’ve been looking for the moment to take your startup from local hero to global player, this is it.
What is GEC+Africa?
GEC+Africa is a massive pan-African gathering powered by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). It brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to one location (most recently Cape Town) to strengthen the African startup ecosystem. The Regional Pitch Competitions are the scouting grounds held in various tech hubs across Africa to find the best talent to represent their regions.
Who Should Apply?
The competition is designed for high-growth startups that have moved past the idea phase and are ready to scale. Generally, the judges look for:
Tech-Enabled Startups: Whether it’s AI, Fintech, Healthtech, or Green Energy, your solution should be innovative.
Market Traction: You should have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and, ideally, early revenue or user growth.
Scalability: Can your business model work in other African countries? Can it work globally?
A Winning Team: Investors don’t just back ideas; they back the people capable of executing them.
What to Expect: The Pitch Process
If your application is shortlisted, you’ll be invited to pitch live in front of a panel of expert judges. You’ll have a few minutes to cover:
The Problem: What massive gap are you filling?
The Solution: How does your technology solve it better than anyone else?
The Business Model: How do you make money?
The Impact: How are you changing the African landscape?
Why You Can’t Afford to Miss This
Even if you don’t walk away with the top prize, the GEC+Africa experience is transformative. Past participants have cited the investor-readiness bootcamps and the connections made with other African founders as the real catalysts for their growth.
Africa is no longer just the future, it is the now. The world is watching, and the GEC+Africa Regional Pitch Competition is your chance to show them what you’ve built.
Ready to take the leap? You can start here