The 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase Series A is looking for innovative, high-growth scale-ups to showcase their solutions to the world. This opportunity is for you if you are operating in Africa, generating revenue, and looking to raise your Series A round in the range of $500K and $10M.
In 2017-2019, VC4A selected 60 scale-ups from across the continent as part of 4 showcase programs, resulting in a number of Series A deals totaling over $100M. Building on this success, the ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A’ – in collaboration with AWS Activate – is now a central component of its efforts to support investors connecting with high-quality deal flow. This is an exclusive opportunity to introduce companies at once to everyone who’s anyone in Africa’s early-stage investment space.
See Also: The Youth Solutions Report 2020 Calling All Young Leaders – Apply Now
What The Program Offers
By participating in the venture showcase you will enjoy the following offering;
- Recognized as 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase entrepreneur.
- Participation in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 150+ early-stage investor organizations.
- Professional edited 3-minute virtual pitch.
- 30 Min deep-dive session with investors in a private room.
- Mentorship and pitch training by partner VC investors.
- AWS Activate offers selected cohort AWS credits ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 tools, resources, and more to quickly get started on AWS.
- Joining the alumni network and having exclusive access to fundraising opportunities.
See Also: Global Citizens Innovative Solutions SDGs Challenge #Resolve2Solve – Still Ongoing
Eligibility Criteria
You will be eligible for this opportunity, if;
- Your company is for-profit and registered as an independent legal entity;
- You have a product or service available on the market and generate revenue;
- Your product or service is clearly innovative and/or your business model is new, disruptive and designed for scale;
- You have a very strong management team of at least 3 people;
- Your team is based in one or more countries on the African continent;
- At least one of the founders has an African nationality;
- You are seeking Series A investment in the range of $500K – $10M;
- While there will be exceptions, most likely, your startup has already received external investment, structured as either debt or equity, or received grants from donor organizations.
Are you raising a Seed Round between $150K – $750K? Consider applying to the 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase – Seed track. Applications opened in July.
See Also: Seedstars 2020 Migration Challenge For Socially Driven Startups Offering Innovative Solutions
Selection Criteria For 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase Series A
Commercial Value of your Product/Service (25%): Your company addresses a real problem in the market. Your product or service is different from others in the industry. And, your business model is new and designed for scale.
Strategy for Growth (25%): The market size is significant and there is potential to expand locally and into new markets. Your startup is scalable and has a clear strategy for growth. You can show demonstrable progress.
Management Team (25%): Your team has the qualifications needed to make the business successful.
Market Traction & Financials (25%): We will evaluate your market traction, revenue streams, and unit economics. If any outside funding has been raised before, it’s a plus.
What To Do
If you are selected for the Showcase, you are expected to:
- Engage with assigned mentors (partner VC investors) and VC4A team to prepare your 3-minute and 20-minute presentations, as well as 2-pagers with investor data as part of the deal book;
- Be prepared to pitch and engage with VC investors in the period of October – November 2020 and be part of the VC4A Venture Showcase.
See Also: Young Professional Development Program (YPDP) Of OPEC Fund For International Development 2020
Timeline – 2020 VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A
- Jun 16 – Aug 14 Application period
- Aug 14 – Sep 14 Selection process/investor review/interviews
- Sep 15 Showcase participants selection
- Sept 15 – Oct 11 Mentorship program with VC investors
- Oct 1 – Oct 11 Technical sessions with VC investors
- Mid Oct Launch of VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A deal room to 300+ VC investors
- Oct – Nov Ongoing showcase to VC4A investor network.
The deadline for the VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A is 14 August 2020. So, if you meet with the above criteria and are ready to showcase your solutions to the world, this is for you. Apply using this link. https://vc4a.com/vc4a/2020-vc4a-venture-showcase-series-a/
To keep track of our activities, follow us on Instagram.
