Seedstars Accra Returns To Find The Best Startup in Ghana

Press Release ­ A​ugust 5th , 2015

SEEDSTARS WORLD IS COMING TO ACCRA TO FIND THE BEST STARTUP IN GHANA

On August​ 5th, 12 of Ghana’s best startups will compete to represent the country at the Seedstars World fi​nal and win up to USD 500,000 in equity investment.

Seedstars Accra -­ August 5th

ACCRA, GHANA, August 5th, 2015 S​eedstars World, ​the global seed­stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast­growing startup scenes, is returning to Ghana on August 5th. In line with its mission to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging countries, Seedstars World has expanded its competition to include more than 50 countries for 2015 (up from the 36 countries of the 2014 edition.) Its previous participants have raised over USD 20M collectively, providing employment to +360 employees all around the world.

A new addition to the competition this year are the Investments Tracks. Seedstars World has partnered up with the iconic brand lastminute.com Group to source the best travel startups, and with a top financial insitution(to be announced soon) to find the most innovative fintech company. Each of these Investment Tracks will have a USD 500K equity prize for its winner, with the association of one of the biggest players in the industries as an added bonus.​Various other prizes can be won outside the tracks such as the Space Prize, a USD 50k grant awarded by Inmarsat and AP­Swiss. All regional winners of the local events will be invited back to Switzerland to pitch at the final event in February 2016 in Switzerland.

Other than the basic criteria for a seed­stage company that is less than 2 years since the founding date, that has less than USD 500’000 in funding and that has an available MVP, Seedstars World is also looking for smart startups that solve regional issues and/or develop profitable products for the global market. With partners such as MEST, Google for Entrepreneurs, and Microsoft, Seedstars World identifies fast­growing and pioneering startup scenes and is on a mission to support regional businesses and their growth. “Seedstars World is a platform connecting investors to the next generation of startup entrepreneurs, pulling the spotlight from Silicon Valley and Western Europe. “We honestly think the best way to have an impact in emerging countries is by investing and promoting entrepreneurship ” explains Alisée de Tonnac, Seedstars World CEO. “We look forward to seeing how the different startup scenes have evolved in a year and we are eager to discover new startups.”

12 of the best startups in G​hana have been invited to pitch for the opportunity to compete at the final event. The invited startups are:

• Boomers International: Booomers addresses the quadruple problems rural youth unemployment, rural­urban migration, climate change and sustainable transport.
• Enyinam Tech: A clean tech solution to minimize external energy inputs in our power generation systems by removing all mechanical rotating devices
• Beep: B​eep is a fun, safe way to meet new people through friends. It is a casual way to discover and meet cool new people just like in real life.
• Ahwenepa Fashion: Ahwenepa is a Customisable Online global Marketplace for strictly African fashion and lifestyle products.Package+Delivery services available
• OnToday: O​nToday is a full service platform that provides a start­to­finish approach for businesses to attracting, keeping and managing customers.
• Afrishopen: Afrishopen is the solution for Africa SMEs Business to have Online shop and make more sale at low cost on mobile device & Web.Agbona Saheed.
• Farmable: Farmable online platform that allows online investors to make returns and help small holder farmers raise capital to run their farms.
• Asoriba: Asoriba is a web and mobile application that enables effective church administration for leaders, and seamless engagement with members
• LendingSquare: An online credit marketplace connecting investors directly with borrowers on their own terms and rates.
• Flippy Campus: F​lippy Campus is an app that helps students get timely access to information related to the academic and social life on campus.
• Tro Tro Diaries:​ The dream is to build a website/app that will bring you amazing experiences and make it possible for you to book trotros and get directions.

This year, Seedstars World’s local Ambassador representing the initiative throughout the year in Ghana, Victor Ofoegbu of Impact Hub Accra, chose to join Seedstars World because he is confident that the startup competition is “​a​n excellent opportunity for startups to succeed, encourages active knowledge transfer and that it promotes grassroots economic development”​. Impact Hub Accra has also partnered up with the M​eltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology(MEST) and the Ghana Angel Investor Network(GAIN) to host this year’s competition.. The jury panel will be composed of a variety of high profile judges, including:

• Todd Holcombe: Senior Faculty at MEST Ghana
• Alex Adjei Bram: General Manager: SMSGH Solutions Limited
• Eric Osiakwan: Managing Partner Chanzo Capital
• Wayne Miranda: CEO Growth Mosaic

About Seedstars World

Seedstars World was founded by Alisée de Tonnac and Pierre­Alain Masson. It is the most exclusive international startup competition for emerging markets and fast­growing startup scenes. After visiting 36 countries last year, Seedstars World has expanded to include 53 countries this year. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it is supported by the global venture builder S​eedstars and i​s one of the fastest­growing networks for tech entrepreneurs.

For free tickets to the event, visit http://www.seedstarsworld.com/event/seedstars-accra-2015/