Eleanor Azar addressing participants
SEVENTY-SIX Ghanaian start-ups are competing for opportunities to join Cohort II of the Telecel Group’s Africa Start-up Initiative Programme (ASIP) powered by Startupbootcamp AfriTech.
The Telecel Group’s ASIP helps to develop new businesses across the continent by working with start-ups and early-stage companies to define their business strategy and secure funding.
It is backed by angel investors and programme partners including AWS, Google, Microsoft, United Nations, Senegal (DER/FJ), VC4A and many others who offer the top finalists the opportunity to benefit from approximately $750,000 earmarked in both cash and support.
The Pan-African tour of Cohort II of Telecel Group ASIP Accelerator programme event has already made stops in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.
The Ghanaian start-ups yesterday pitched their innovative solutions at ‘The Fast Track Tour’ pitching event in Osu, Accra, to an experienced panel of judges and mentors.
Executive Deputy of Telecel Group and ASIP Director, Eleanor Azar, welcoming the participants to the event, said the Telecel Group remained committed to developing the next generation of tech businesses and entrepreneurs for the continent.
“I want to acknowledge and thank our key technical partners including AWS, Google, Microsoft, VC4A, Cloudworks, Enrich, Inner city and many more corporates in the banking, finance, and other sectors.
“With your help, ASIP aims to support the next generation of early-stage African tech start-ups disrupting key industry verticals that include FinTech, InsureTech, AgriTech, eCommerce, Digital Health, and CleanTech. “Telecel Group will provide the participating start-ups with access to markets through our mobile services across the continent and we look forward as we progress to signing proof of concept and commercial agreements,” Ms Azar noted.
Launched by Telecel Group in 2019 at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, the Africa Start-up Initiative Programme (ASIP) in its first year offered sponsorship to over 20 African Start-ups in the presence African ICT Ministers and officials of United Nations.
The first cohort was highly successful and had a total of 2,229 entries after which finalists from various African countries went on to pitch in the grand finale in Dakar Senegal. Cohort II was launched during the Africa Arena event in November 2021, in Cape Town, South Africa. So far, a total of 1,857 applications have been received from across the continent comprising 76 from Ghana.
The application will close on January 28, 2022.
A business desk report