The World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) has crowned Mali as the Startup Nation of Western Africa. The award which is among the ‘Oscars’ of capital markets was announced at the WBAF’s World Congress 2020, through the forum’s World Excellence Awards, in Istanbul on Monday. Awards were given to brands, angel investors, crowd-funders, early-stage venture capital investors and policymakers who support early-stage equity and investment markets.
“From business angels to policymakers to academics, the Awards salute those who stand out in imagining, discussing, and shaping the future of an entrepreneurial world,”a press release issued by the forum was quoted as saying.
Here Is All You Need To Know
- According to the release, WBAF “seeks to promote and nurture startups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses, SMEs, angel investors, and a dynamic business community throughout the world.”
- The two-day congress which kicked off on Monday, hosts hundreds of participants from 92 countries and 132 international speakers on 24 panels, including angel investors, venture capitalists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
- The event, for which Anadolu Agency is the global communications partner, is expected to be attended by 1,500 delegates.
- Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, the executive director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), received ‘The Grand Award: Lifelong Achievement’. Six more awards were announced.
- The Best Impactful Country Office of 2019 was Croatia Country Office; the Best Governmental Agency Supporting Entrepreneurship in the Middle East was Tamkeen of Bahrain, the Most Startup-Friendly Country of Southeast Europe was Albania, the Most Vibrant Ecosystem for Investment in Asia was Malaysia, the 21st-Century Foundation Serving World Heritage by Promoting Dialogue, Peace and Tolerance was Three Cultures Foundation, and the Startup Nation of Western Africa was Mali.
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About the World Business Angels Investment Forum
The WBAF provides an international platform where all stakeholders can join forces to drive change, with a particular focus on linking the best entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs with smart finance opportunities afforded by qualified angel investors and institutions that work in cooperation with angel investors.
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As an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum, committed to collaborate globally to empowering the economic development of the world by fostering innovative financial instruments for SMEs, innovators and startups, invites people from across the world to join its global efforts to ease access to finance for them to create more jobs and social justice for the world economy.
Does WBAF Invest In Startups?
Yes! It does so through the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS) which is an international co-investment platform for investors, startups, scaleups and high-growth businesses which are aiming to globalise by raising funds from qualified investors.
The 2020 Global Fundraising Stage is supported by the WBAF Angel Investment Fund, which aims to invest in startups of the GFRS 2020. It will provide a unique opportunity to 100 selected startups and scaleups to pitch their businesses on WBAF’s Global Fundraising Stage at its World Congress on 17–18 February 2020. [It is important to note that the WBAF Angel Investment Fund is only one of many investors and investing institutions that will be present at the GFRS 2020.
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Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.
He could be contacted at udohrapulu@gmail.com