Facebook gets behind African entrepreneurs in a ‘celebration of tech’ week as part of its sponsorship of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 9, 2017/ — Showcasing Facebook’s (www.Facebook.com) passion for investing in creative, diverse talent across Africa, and nurturing the tech and startup ecosystem, Facebook announces a week-long celebration of activities as part of its sponsorship of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa 2017 (http://APO.af/wJeqkQ).

In the first event of its kind on the continent, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa 2017, will search for the best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs in Sub Saharan Africa. The event will see entrepreneurs and developers compete across three categories: social good; productivity and utility; and gaming and entertainment. It will tell the founders’ stories, uncovering the next wave of disruptive innovations and putting African invention under the global spotlight.

Ned Desmond, COO, TechCrunch adds, “We’re really pleased to be able to bring the first Startup Battlefield to Africa. This is an exciting event, with opportunities to discover the creativity, talent and imagination of startups from across the continent. TechCrunch has held events across the world, and being able to hold Battlefield Africa is a natural progression. We can’t wait to see the results.

Commenting on the partnership, Ime Archibong, Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships said: “Our partnership with TechCrunch on Africa’s first ever Startup Battlefield event is a natural fit. We’re big believers in supporting and developing young, creative, diverse talent, and we also have a passion for supporting small businesses and startups as they grow, and nowhere is this more exciting than in the rich, diverse continent that is Africa.”

The Facebook team will be in Nairobi, Kenya from 9-12 October to take part in and host a number of events aimed at connecting, listening and learning from the startup and wider tech community:

• TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa 2017 – a day-long event aimed at celebrating and uncovering the best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs in sub Saharan Africa. Taking to the stage will be:

• • Ime Archibong, Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships
  • The Startup Journey to Success panel hosted by Emeka Afigbo (Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for Middle East & Africa) with Chijioke Dozie (Co-founder and CEO, OneFi), Mark Essien (Founder and CEO, Hotels.ng) and Eric Thimba (Co-founder and CEO, MOOKH)
  • Uche Ofodile from the Facebook Connectivity team, taking part in a panel on ‘Solving Africa’s Connectivity Equation’

• Facebook Platform Meetup, bringing together entrepreneurs, developers, and senior leaders at early-mid-stage startups in Kenya to learn how Facebook’s Platform products can help to accelerate their businesses 
• Facebook Developer Circles Africa Masterclass, a three-day training course bringing together Developer Circle leaders from across sub Saharan Africa
• Women in Tech event – designed to engage with influential women working in Nairobi’s technology ecosystem and to share Facebook’s mission on Diversity
• Developer Circles Nairobi Meetup – bringing together the Developer Circles Nairobi community in an evening of networking
• Facebook Community event – aimed at bringing together Community Groups from across Nairobi
• SMB, Agency & Content Creators Workshops – several workshops providing Kenyan entrepreneurs, agencies and SMB’s on how to grow their business using Instagram and Facebook

“With more than a billion people in Africa, we want to do more to enable businesses in the region to connect with people,” says Emeka Afigbo, Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for Middle East & Africa. “We are excited to be part of a showcase of how African developers and tech entrepreneurs are empowering people and growing the economy.”