Date: June 29, 2022
India-Africa connection dates back several centuries and has grown from strength to strength since then. Over the past few decades, both India and Africa have formed close commercial and diplomatic ties, reaping immense mutual benefits for their economic growth. India is the fifth largest investor in Africa with cumulative investments worth USD 54 billion. Their bilateral trade registered a trading volume of USD 55.9 billion 2020-21.
The startup ecosystem has emerged as a potential area of collaboration between India and Africa and experts believe that there are opportunities abound for the stakeholders from both sides. The African startup system is in its nascent stage but holds a promising future. Hence, Africa is keen to tap into the trading links with India and look for investment, partnerships and market opportunities to support its startups. Indian entrepreneurs, investors and organizations are also looking for a robust network to expand their footsteps in Africa.
With an intention to bridge this gap, India-Africa Entrepreneurship Forum (IAEF) is hosting a flagship event ‘India Africa Entrepreneurship and Investment Summit’. It is scheduled to take place on 1st and 2nd July, 2022 at Sarova Pacific Hotel in Nairobi. The summit will witness participation from distinguished entrepreneurs and investors to discuss opportunities and challenges in investing in Africa. It will serve as a common platform to educate, inform and connect both Indian and African startup ecosystems in various sectors such as cross-border fintech, agritech and agri export, edtech and remote teaching, healthtech-telehealth and international e-commerce.
Given the prominence of this event, several organizations have joined hands with IAEF to lend their solidarity. One such organization is Launch Africa Ventures, a leading PAN-African VC fund in the Seed and Pre-Series A investment landscape in Africa. The company invests capital, time, intellectual resources and global networks in B2B and B2BB2C early-stage and technology-driven startups. This company has supported more than 100 startups across multiple sectors and products across 21 countries. Its investment portfolio comprises startups in financial services, digital transformation, smart cities and energy, enterprise solutions, education and skills, health tech, telecom and media, climate and green tech, food and water and several other businesses.
This summit is expected to empower African and Indian ventures to forge mutually beneficial relationship and rewrite their growth story.