A date has finally been announced for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa competition. TechCrunch confirms that the competition will hold on December 11, 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Startup Battlefield returns to Sub-Saharan Africa this December https://t.co/xtKfhoR8ux pic.twitter.com/1daLIFHBLG
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) July 3, 2018
This is the second Startup Battlefield competition holding in Africa. Last year, the TechCrunch competition held in Nairobi, Kenya. This year, the Battlefield is looking for “Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup.”
New Details About Startup Battlefield Africa
More details are also emerging about how Startup Battlefield Africa will look like.
According to a post on its website, TechCrunch explained that “we’re looking for Sub-Saharan Africa’s best innovators, makers, and technical entrepreneurs.”
Although startups of any kind can apply, Startup Battlefield Africa targets “startups most likely to produce an exit or IPO.” Not surprising though; this has been an ongoing trend at the Battlefield. Over the last several years, over 105 TechCrunch Battlefield companies have IPO-ed or have been sold to larger companies.
Applicants are also required to have a working product or a working beta. Startups with limited publicity or press knowledge are also encouraged to apply. Importantly too, qualifying startups should have no known intellectual property disputes.
TechCrunchu2019s Startup Battlefield is coming soon to Beirut, Sxe3o Paolo and Lagos Everyone knows there are thriving startup communities outside of obvious hubs, like San Francisco, Berlin, Bangalore and B
https://t.co/a87TAe0KQb— Coaching4Advisors (@coaching4today) July 2, 2018
The competition has become popular and it’s only normal to believe that the application numbers will be huge. Yet, TC explains its editors will carefully pick the “best startups” to compete from tons of applications. And only 15 applicants will be selected to compete.
Judging Criteria will be “Tough” and Focuses on Impact
As previously reported, the selected startups get coaching and support, required for them to make brilliant pitches to investors. At the competition, each startup gets six minutes to pitch, and six minutes to answer “tough” questions.
Judging criteria for the Battlefield draws heavily from a social and commercial angle. TechCrunch explains that the “judges will pick the startup with the product or service most likely to go into full commercial production and have the biggest impact on human potential and/or the largest exit.”
Apparently, the criteria take a cue from the social nature of startup innovations in Africa. Unlike startups abroad, African startups focus on solving issues such as access to banking services, agriculture, and education. “Africa’s Most Promising Startup” will have to show high competency and growth potentials in tackling issues such as these.
Meet founders and investors at Disrupt SF 2018 with CrunchMatch https://t.co/mDuVMdVK10 #TCDisrupt pic.twitter.com/8DQgva6DrF
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) July 2, 2018
Application for Startup Battlefield is now open and it closes on September 3, 2018. Successful applicants will be notified by October 19, 2018, while the main event holds on December 11, 2018.
The winner of the competition gets $25,000 non-equity funding and an all-expense paid trip to compete in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch’s world famous Disrupt conference in 2019.
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