Created in 2019 by the Public Establishment of Euroméditerranée Development located in Marseille, the MED’INNOVANT AFRICA competition has launched its 2020 edition reserved for African startups.
Its objective: to stimulate the search for innovative solutions to imagine the resilient African and Mediterranean sustainable city of tomorrow, while supporting the projects of African start-ups that are committed in this direction.
After a successful first 2019 edition, with the participation of 180 startups and the distinction of 3 African nuggets with inspiring projects, Euroméditerranée wanted to invest this year in the field of resilience in African and Mediterranean territories.
In the face of Covid-19, Africa has confirmed its capacity for innovation by developing numerous solutions, such as the Algerian startup Citylocker, the 2019 finalist of the competition, in particular.
Once again this year, MED’INNOVANT AFRICA is reserved for high-growth African startups, small and medium-sized enterprises providing a solution with a strong positive impact for the development of sustainable and resilient territories.
Candidates for this second edition can apply online on the website dedicated to the competition, from July 1 to August 31, 2020.
After analysis of the files and selection by a jury of experts, two laureates – “Jury Prize” and “Coup de cœur” Prize – will access the Euroméditerranée experimentation area, to test and deploy their solution in Marseille, in the heart of of the second largest metropolis in France!
They will benefit from personalized support and will win a financial allocation of up to 7,000 euros.
The winners will also be asked to pitch their project on stage at the Emerging Valley international summit (December 7 and 8, in Marseille), a unique opportunity for visibility and networking.
They will also benefit from support from the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a view to ultimately finding European, but also African, investors and industrial partners.
By putting resilience at the heart of this second edition, the objective of MED’INNOVANT AFRICA is to respond to three major challenges, common to the Euroméditerranée perimeter and to African territories: developing the resilience to shocks of cities, by strengthening resilience and the sustainability of territories; improve responsiveness through new digital tools; promote crisis communication at the local level.
For more about the MED’INNOVANT AFRICA 2020 competition visit here: https://euromediterranee.fr/medinnovantafrica
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