Startup competition is taking its tour to Mali for the first time ever

So far in 2016, Seedstars has been to South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. In each country it's been to startups have competed for the chance to represent their country at the annual Seedstars Summit in Switzerland and also win up to $1 million in equity investment.

The inaugural Seedstars event in Mali will hold on September 4, 2016 and according to Tola Agunbiade from TechCabal, the team is pretty excited about their first edition.

“Seedstars World is a platform connecting investors to the next generation of startup entrepreneurs, pulling the spotlight from Silicon Valley and Western Europe. After three years of our existence, we have definitely confirmed our initial hypothesis that the best way to have an impact in emerging countries is by investing and promoting entrepreneurship. We are constantly expanding into new countries to learn about ecosystems and discover new talent. We are therefore very excited to come to Mali for the first time and see what the country has to offer,” says Seedstars World Associate, Claudia Makadristo, according to a TechCabal report.

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As much as 10 of the best seed stage startups in Mali will be invited to pitch for the opportunity to compete at the Seedstars Summit. TechCabal reports that Seedstars World is working with ImpactHub Bamako to put it all in place.

“The excitement is at its peak! One of the most important startup competitions in the world is coming to Bamako. Seedstars World is an amazing opportunity for the best entrepreneurs of emerging countries to be identified. The selected startups, those that will shape our future, will benefit from access to a great network and community, media exposure and overall the opportunity to connect with leading investors. The global winner, who will be selected among the participating countries can earn $500,000 to grow his business. To the Malian community of entrepreneurs, do not wait!,” says ImpactHub co-founder and CEO, Mohammed Keita, according to TechCabal.

Seedstars World is a global seed-stage startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup environments and this year, 15 of the 65 countries which they're touring are African countries.

Applications for Seedstars Bamako are open and the event is supported by Orange and the Azalai Hotels Group.