Global audit company KPMG has announced the commencement of the fourth annual Private Enterprise Tech Innovator competition in East Africa, aiming to discover and support trailblazing tech entrepreneurs. The firm is looking for East African tech entrepreneurs who have developed groundbreaking innovations.
These innovators will go toe to toe with entrepreneurs from other parts of the globe before a final Global Tech Innovator is announced.
This competition is a unique opportunity for tech innovators to showcase their creations on a global platform, gaining recognition and support from industry experts, investors, and potential partners.
The competition is open to entrepreneurs who have transitioned from the startup phase to the next stage of business growth. These entrepreneurs should have developed innovative, proven technologies, established robust business models, and demonstrated significant traction with the potential to scale globally.
Apart from just showcasing their work on the global stage, participants will get a chance to network and build credibility for their brand, business and product.
They will engage with industry professionals who will provide them with invaluable insights. In addition, KPMG mentors will help participants refine and finesse their innovations, while also helping them scale up.
The competition will receive media coverage boosting innovators’ visibility and market presence and attracting potential users, customers, and funding sources.
Further, the competition offers a significant learning experience, from the initial application to the regional and global pitch presentations. Feedback from judges and interactions with other participants will help refine participants’ innovations and presentation skills.
Who is eligible?
The 2024 Private Enterprise Tech Innovator Competition will feature tech entrepreneurs from 23 countries across the globe. Some of the participating countries include Australia, the United States of America, Brazil, China, Colombia, Estonia and Finland. African countries are also taking part in the competition namely Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia. Applicants can apply on the KPMG Private Enterprise Tech Innovator competition website.
To participate in the competition, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Company registration: Must be a registered company in the country/region where the final is being held.
- Operational timeline: Must have been actively operating for 5 years or less in their current form.
- Revenue requirements: Should generate revenue between US $1 million and $15 million, or have raised at least US $500,000 in equity.
- Business type: Must be a pure technology or tech-enabled, tech-driven, or tech-led business.
- Ownership: Cannot be majority-owned by a large corporate entity.
- Language proficiency: Must be able to conduct all pitches in English.
- Availability: Must be available to pitch at the country/region semi-final and final events, as well as the global final in November 2024.
Each company will have approximately five minutes to pitch and answer questions from a judging panel. All presentations must be in Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF format. The judging panel will score applications based on six equally weighted criteria: disruption and innovation, market potential, customer adoption, market traction and marketing, long-term potential, and pitch quality.
