The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) has selected three regional collaborators to advance its mission of supporting African entrepreneurs. Nigeria’s NINE, Egypt’s RiseUp, and South Africa’s 22 On Sloane were designated as official partners for Western, Northern, and Southern Africa, respectively.
These partners will work alongside Nailab, ANPI’s Eastern Africa collaborator, to promote the annual competition. The prize, established by the Jack Ma Foundation, aims to identify and fund innovative businesses across the continent through a decade-long series of pitch events leading to a final showdown where ten winners will share $1 million in prizes.
Regional partners will focus on engaging entrepreneurs through grassroots initiatives. Nailab founder Sam Gichuru emphasized the importance of partnerships in expanding the program’s reach, stating the goal is to highlight technology-driven ventures, traditional enterprises, and businesses led by women and grassroots communities.
22 On Sloane, based in South Africa, operates the continent’s largest startup campus and collaborates with over 15,000 organizations. RiseUp, Egypt’s leading entrepreneurship platform, organizes the MENA region’s largest startup summit. NINE, Nigeria’s premier incubator network, supports entrepreneurial growth across the West African region.
Applications for the 2019 cycle will open on March 27 and close on June 30. Finalists will receive grant funding from the Jack Ma Foundation and access to a network of African business leaders for mentorship and resource sharing.
