Apply for the US Chamber of Commerce Africa Digital Innovation Competition 2022 for African Startups ($25,000 cash prize)

Application Deadline: June 30, 2022

As part of the 2022 Digital Economy Summit, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) in conjunction with AmChams across Africa, is hosting its annual Digital Innovation Competition for African Startups. The competition is targeted towards Digital SMEs and startups that are looking to facilitate the delivery of digital, cross-border, interoperable, and cross-domain services, and solutions, while also accelerating their digitally enabled growth. 

The Digital Innovation Competition will award innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups for developing solutions through digital products and services while creating a positive impact on African citizens. This competition seeks to promote talent in the African region through social impact, digital initiatives that incorporate cutting-edge technologies, innovation, and creativity in the form of proposals that formulate solutions to different problems and opportunities in the region. 

The in-kind services may include laptops, annual subscriptions to digital platforms, mentoring and digital marketing/advertising services for the top three winners of the competition. The top three winners will also be offered a virtual platform to engage with mentors and participants during the Digital Economy Summit on December 07, 2022.

The competition will be focused on three broad thematic areas: 

1. Fintech and Cyber Solutions: covering data flow solutions, cross border digital platform solutions, mobile technology, intellectual property management, cyber security, and digital movement of creative art (movies, music, art).
2. Sustainability & Supply Chain Solutions: covering smart manufacturing, e-commerce, management of shared economies, improvement to digital supply chain, logistics solutions to e-commerce businesses, and Agriculture technology (AgTech). 
3. Human Development & Social Services Solutions: covering digital health solutions, e-learning platform.

Requirements

To be eligible, an applicant (or their startup) must:

• Be a startup or innovator with at least 51% African ownership
• Must be incorporated /registered with the appropriate country-based body, e.g., Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
• Not be a government agency, public administration, political organization, or non-profit of any type Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Competition 2022
• Startup must be head quartered in one of the African Countries.
• Startup must Not be older than five (5) years and not be part of a franchise brand or licensing agreements for distribution in a different country
• Not be a Business engaged in any illegal activity and not listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Sanctions List

1st Prize

Top prize

The total Grand Prize package is worth $25,000. This includes $15,000 in prize money, a 6-month mentorship with a Fortune 500 Tech Company and a 1-year subscription to digital tools/platforms.

• $15,000 2nd Prize Package
  Second prize includes $10,000 in prize money, a 6-month mentorship with a Tech Company and a 6-month subscription to digital tools/platforms.
• $10,000 3rd Prize Package
  Third prize includes $5,000 in prize money, a 3-month mentorship with a Tech Company and a 3-month subscription to digital tools/platforms.
• 5 Regional Champions

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Prizes for the Africa Digital Innovation Competition 2022