Co-Creation Hub (CCHub) and Google for Startups have partnered once again for the second edition of the PitchDrive. A two-week tour across 5 Asian cities – Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, the PitchDrive II would feature 10 African hardware and deep tech startups.
The tour will enable the startups engage, seek collaborations and investment from Asian suppliers and manufacturing partners to help grow their businesses.
This is the 2nd edition of the PitchDrive. The first which was held in 2017 had 14 African tech startups (including 6 from Nigeria) participating in a 3-week European tech hub tour that took them to London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich and Paris.
And now, PitchDrive II is going to Asia in a bid to help African startups discover and connect with suppliers or manufacturing partners in the Asian robust hardware market. It would also be an opportunity for these entrepreneurs from across Africa who are building world-class tech companies to showcase themselves to the world while learning to improve their businesses too.
“The growing relationship between Africa and Asia presents an opportunity for African startups to leverage the advantages of a distributed innovation system that the world today offers. PitchDrive II is a unique opportunity to inspire international collaboration, strengthen and grow world-class African businesses while helping startups explore markets, networks and relationships in key Asian countries.”
‘Bosun Tijani, CcHUB Co-founder and CEO.
The tour will begin on August 15, kicking off in Kigali, Rwanda, where CcHub recently launched a design lab, for a two-day bootcamp. Startups will then head to Singapore, Shenzhen (China), Hong Kong (China), Seoul (South Korea) and Tokyo (Japan) where the tour will be wrapped up.
Interested startups must be operating in the hardware/deep tech space and based in Africa. They must also be able to demonstrate a minimum of 12 months revenue-generating operations and be available for 2 weeks between 15th and 31st August, 2019.
Applications are currently open here until May 20th.
