Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), Nigeria’s innovation centre and Google for Startups, have announced the launch of PitchDrive II, a three week, five-city Asian tech tour across Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo.
The tour will bring 10 African hardware and advanced technology startups together to discover and engage Asian suppliers and manufacturing partners to help grow their businesses, explore funding opportunities and share learnings from the Asian technology market.
‘Bosun Tijani, CcHUB Co-founder and CEO says, “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.”
PitchDrive II will enable African startups to take key learnings from the Asian technology market and apply them locally to improve their businesses. The tour will also be an opportunity for startups to discover and connect with suppliers or manufacturing partners while securing funding opportunities and learning how best to navigate the manufacturing terrain.
Starting in Rwanda on 15th of August 2019, the cohort will first benefit from a 2-day bootcamp at the Kigali-based CcHUB Design Lab then the startups will visit Singapore, China, South Korea and conclude the tour in Japan during the Tokyo International Conference of Africa’s Development (TICAD 2019) event.
Connor Swenson, EMEA Partnerships Manager at Google for Startups, adds, “We’re thrilled to be supporting the second round of PitchDrive. African tech startups are building companies on a global scale, and we believe connecting them to Asian markets through the Google for Startups partner network will not only help them grow even further, but provide a chance for Asian startups to learn from best-in-class African entrepreneurs.”
In 2017, CcHUB and Google for Startups saw PitchDrive across London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich and Paris where over $4.5 million was raised by a number of participating startups, alongside market expansion into new cities.
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Those looking to apply must have a legal, registered enterprise based in Africa, be able to demonstrate a minimum of 12 months revenue-generating operations. CEO/Founders must also be available for a three-week period from August 15th till August 31st.
