Hunting for Africa’s Unicorns (High-Level Pitch Event)

Call for Submissions: Apply to pitch your startup in front of the biggest Venture Capitals in Africa and the Middle East.

What: Hunting for Africa’s Unicorns (High-Level Pitch Event)

When: 11 November 2021

Where: Africa Private Sector Forum – Cairo, Egypt

Who: Empowered by the Africa Business Council and the African Union Commission.

Africa’s Unicorn Pitches will be taking place on 11 November 2021 during the 12th African Union Private Sector Forum which is organized by the African Union Commission for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining and the Africa Business Council (AfBC).

Applications are open for the Startups Pitching Event at the 12th African Union Private Sector Forum with an aim to connect new African startups seeking to raise funds with potential investors across the continent.

Join hundreds of investors and corporations across the continent to network, learn from experts, and pitch in front of Africa’s investors and become one of the companies selected to pitch at Africa’s Unicorn Pitches 2021.

Selected startups will receive complimentary passes to the event – here follows more information:

 Who can apply?

● African Startups with African Founders

● Companies not older than 3 years

● Technology-Enabled and Scalable Business Model

● Start-ups with the proven business models and existing market

● Actively fundraising for an equity investment between 1 Million USD to 25 Million USD.

● Companies that have not received more than US$5 million in funding.

What we Offer

● Pitching slot

● Profile listed on the Africa Business Council website and promotional campaigns.

● Finalists will be sponsored to attend the High-Level Event during the African Union Private Sector Forum taking place on 10-11 November in Cairo, Egypt.

Timeline (11:59 PM in East Africa Time)

Application deadline5 October 2021
Semifinalists’ notification14 October 2021
Finalists’ notification21 October 2021
Pitch competition11 November 2021

How To Apply

Fill in a form for your start-up and submit a short video (video link not more than 4 mins in duration) describing who you are and how your startup would be propelling the future of Africa’s economy.

Please submit your application at 

Video presentations should cover the following points:

● Problem(s) your Startup/Project is solving

● Your startup’s value proposition

● Revenue stream

● How much money do you want to raise and why?

Background on the Africa Business Council (AfBC)

The Africa Business Council ( AfBC) is established as an institution in line with the African Union Assembly ‘Decision on Boosting Intra-African Trade and Fast Tracking the Establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area’.

AfBC founding Vision is “a competitive, innovative and borderless Africa for trade, investment and industrialisation”.

Under the role of the AfBC, established in line with the Summit Decision of the African Union Heads of States, as the Voice of the African Private Sector, the premier advocacy arm and platform for the private sector cooperation and engagement at the African continental level and outside the continent with the main objective of realising the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and opening International Markets for Value-added African Products.

In line with the Africa Business Council’s mission to advocate for the African business interests of the private sector in the African region; provide a platform of engagement between policymakers at the AU level and the private sector; promote trade, industrialization, and investment amongst the African private sector and between Africa and the rest of the world; and, foster cooperation and collaboration between the African private sector business organisations.

The Africa Business Council through the Business Development and Youth Committees created and launched the “Africa’s Unicorn Pitches 2021, The African Hunting platform for Unicorns”, as an opportunity to provide promising Startups from Africa with the platform to pitch their innovative solutions, ideas and technologies to all Africa’s investors and audience of industry professionals.

The event aims to contribute and promote pan-African economic integration and structural transformation, create value propositions for businesses through the provision of information and opportunities for engagement and networking to support business growth, exchange of experiences and capacity building towards strengthening the private sector in Africa, as well as supporting economic empowerment of women, and youth in the African and the global economy.