1776 Selects 5 African Cities To Host The 4th Annual Global Challenge Cup
Washington-based Global Incubator and Seed Fund firm, 1776 in partnership with investment firm Revolution, an active champion for the emergence of entrepreneurial communities and startups outside of Silicon Valley on Tuesday last week announced the kickoff of its fourth annual global Challenge Cup competition that seeks to find innovative startups solving the world’s most complex challenges.
In a press statement, Steve Case, CEO and Chairman of Revolution, said “The Challenge Cup illustrates that great companies can start and scale anywhere. While talent is evenly distributed, opportunity isn’t and the Challenge Cup is squarely addressing this inequity.”
Over the next four months, Challenge Cup will take place in 75 global cities, including cities drawn from Revolution’s Rise of the Rest program as well as over 20 US state capitals.
Each of these cities, 1776 will partner with a leading local startup program to host a Challenge Cup experience on 1776’s UNION Network, a digital platform that connects startup ecosystems around the world.
The program culminates in the 2017 Challenge Festival, a multi-day event in November taking place at 1776’s newest campus located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
“The Challenge Cup is more than a pitch competition. We are forging partnerships between government officials, institutions, and entrepreneurs tackling complex challenges,” said Evan Burfield; CEO and Co-Founder at 1776.[related-posts]
Last year, 1776 crowed MUrgency; a Dubai-based company that uses the power of mobile technology and networks to create one seamless global emergency response network – as winners of the 2016 Global Challenge Cup while Twiga Foods; a mobile-based supply platform for Africa’s retail outlets, kiosks, and market stalls – from Mombasa won the 2015 Global Challenge Cup. This looks promising for African startups.
“Startups are the key to solving the world’s biggest problems, and competitions like the Challenge Cup draw attention to solving those problems on a global stage,” Grant Brooke; CEO and Co- Founder of Twiga foods said.
These are 5 African cities that will host the 2017 ‘1776 Global Challenge Cup‘:
- Hive Colab — Kampala, Uganda.
- Iceaddis — Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- iHub — Nairobi, Kenya.
- iSpace Foundation — Accra, Ghana.
- BIAT — Tunis, Tunisia.
Editor’s Note: Startups from Kampala that would love to take/be part of the challenge can apply here.
