Kevin Nyango
TechInPacific – GSMA in partnership with Seedstars brings its accelerating events to Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Previously, there were over 90 local Seedstars startups competitions held in Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Vietnam.
The program is part of its mission to build synergies between startups and mobile operators, aiming at scaling innovative and sustainable digital services in emerging markets. In the Pacific region, the program is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia (DFAT).
The program brings opportunity to local innovative startups to have mentoring, support, and participate in pitch competitions. It starts from 16 July to 18 July in Papua New Guinea. There will be a two-day bootcamp hosted by Seedstars and a full-day pitching competitions in front of a panel of international investment experts. The winners of the competition will get a chance to partake in the regional (Asia) and global (Switzerland) Seedstars events.
Meanwhile, the second event will be held in Samoa for three days starting from 24 September. The events invite regional mentors and Seedstars’ Investment Team, Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund portfolio startups, and mobile network operators from each country. They will provide mentoring and coaching to participants.
Founders of the participating startups will take part in a pitching training session, have a chance to discuss their challenges with the Seedstars team and local mentors during mentoring sessions on the first and second day. On the third day, they will have to showcase their ideas in front of the public who attends the event.
The winning startups will receive all-expenses paid trip to the Seedstars Asia Summit and the Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland. In both Summits, they will partake in bootcampsessions, mentoring, investor meetings, as well as raise awareness and forge international connections.
To participate in the program, please click here.
Source: gsma.com
