The 5th edition of the Afrilabs Annual Gathering is round the corner and this year, it’s going virtual! The event will run from 12-14 October 2020. In the past years, the gathering had been held in different cities around the continent. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will be gathering online. This has opened up the platform to more inclusive participation.
Afrilabs is a Pan-African community of innovation hubs, change-makers, and innovators, who share and impart knowledge and expertise.
Why should you be interested?
Since 2016, the gathering has provided a platform for tech innovators and startups to engage and collaborate to build amazing things. It is an opportunity to take part in building the African entrepreneurship and technology ecosystem. By bringing together innovation hubs, investors, academia, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, they are creating an authentic conversation amongst the real players in the ecosystem.
The Afrilabs Annual Gathering will bring together innovators, policymakers, corporate, and thought leaders with the goal of building a stronger and more resilient innovative Africa.
This is an exciting event, which according to Anna Ekeledo, Executive Director of Afrilabs, aims to explore exciting and ambitious solutions on a wide range of issues important to the ecosystem. From entrepreneurship support to funding innovation, technology development and job creation on the African continent.
What will be happening during the gathering?
This year’s gathering is a domestic resource mobilization call to set a new agenda to achieve new goals that destabilize the status quo, instead of adopting an already existing agenda not tailor-made for the African society.
The 3-day Gathering will feature sessions with focused panel discussions, keynote addresses, presentation sessions, multiple parallel workshops, and networking sessions.
Mozilla will also host a roundtable discussion on understanding the local needs, expertise, and capabilities of African countries. It will explore under-served issues and areas that could spur the next generation of innovation in the region.
KTN Global Alliance will also host a masterclass to answer investment readiness questions whilst providing advice and guidance for organisations seeking funding.
17 Innovation Hubs across Africa will receive a 15000 Euro grant under the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme, sponsored by the AFD through its Digital Africa seed at the Capacity Building Awards Night on the last day of the Gathering.
Djembe Consultants in partnership with AfriLabs will launch a report on the African Innovation Ecosystem covering trends and opportunities, the potential impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the framing of a regional policy discussion.
To join the conversation with over 1000 hubs entrepreneurs, creatives, VCs, development experts, head over to the registration page and be part of the Afrilabs Annual Gathering.
