Africa/Japan Startups Pitch
Innovation & New Partnership for SDGs
※Registration is closed
Co-organized by JETRO, JICA, and UNDP, this event will showcase business models of blue-chip startups from Africa/Japan to facilitate potential partnership with Japanese companies/investors and to cast a new image of Africa.



Morning Session: “Africa Startups Pitch”
- Date:
- August 30, 2019 09:30 – 12:30
- Venue:
-
PACIFICO Yokohama Exhibition Hall B Seminar Room B01
Access - Organized by:
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Co-organized by:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Nikkei Inc.
- Cooperation by:
- EDGEof, Inc.
- Seating capacity:
- 500
- Language:
- English-French-Japanese simultaneous interpretation
- Fee:
- Free of charge
Program
-
9:00Registration starts
-
9:30
Opening Remarks
Mr. Achim Steiner
UNDP AdministratorOver nearly three decades, Mr. Steiner has been a global leader on sustainable development, climate resilience and international cooperation. Mr. Steiner has served across the United Nations system, looking at global challenges from both a humanitarian and a development perspective. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016).
-
9:35
-
Session I Innovation for the SDGs
‐ A pitching session by the African startups selected out of about 500 applications ‐ -
7 tech-startups selected from African countries will showcase their innovative business cases with proven potential of business scalability and impact in contributing to the SDGs. Each business pitching will be flourished with advice and comments from the experts and capitalists who owns knowledge and/or experiences on the African market as for investment and/or social entrepreneurship. The session casts new potential of Africa and enables participants to feel the lively vibrations of innovative businesses in Africa that have a potential of “leapfrogging”.
Moderator
Mr. Ken Masui
Co-Founder・Co-CEO, EDGEof, Inc.Founder and Co-CEO of EDGEof, a GameChangers’ Studio enabling various talents to join together and scale for high impact projects. Music Director & Creative Director of Mr. Children. CEO of Spark Neuro Japan. Project Producer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games & FIFA World Cup. Started his career as radio DJ.
Mentors
(371KB)
-
Speakers
(466KB)
-
Session I Innovation for the SDGs
-
10:55Short break
-
11:05
-
Session Ⅱ New Partnership with Japanese companies
‐ Pitches by selected startups touring Asia with Co-Creation Hub, partner of JETRO ‐ -
JETRO will organize a pitch event featuring 10 deep-tech startups from 7 countries selected by Co-Creation Hub, which are eager to collaborate with companies from Asia, including Japan. They will be excellent candidates for Japanese companies looking for partners to expand business in Africa.
Moderator
Ms. Damilola Teidi-Ayoola
Director, Incubation Unit, Co-Creation HubShe has 8 years experience working in the technology space in Nigeria. She manages all start-up related programs at CcHUB. Prior to re-joining CcHUB, she worked as Chief Executive Officer of GoMyWay Africa.
Speakers
(461KB)
Commentators
(386KB)
-
Session Ⅱ New Partnership with Japanese companies
-
12:30Adjournment
* A networking space will be set up in PACIFICO Yokohama Exhibition Hall B (Seminar room B07).


Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading technology innovation center in Nigeria, is launching a second Pitch Drive Tour to build partnerships across Asia for 10 African deep-tech and hardware startups. After a boot camp in Rwanda, startups will visit Singapore, South Korea, China and also visit Japan with this pitch event in partnership with JETRO.
Afternoon Session: “Japan Startups Pitch”
- Date:
- August 30, 2019 13:00 – 14:30
- Venue:
-
PACIFICO Yokohama Exhibition Hall B Seminar Room B01
Access - Organized by:
- JICA, UNDP, JETRO
- Co-organized by:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Nikkei Inc.
- Cooperation by:
- EDGEof, Inc.
- Seating capacity:
- 500
- Language:
- English-French-Japanese simultaneous interpretation
- Fee:
- Free of charge
Program
-
13:00Opening Remarks
-
13:10
-
Innovation for the SDGs
- A pitching session by the selected Japanese startups challenging African market - -
7 tech-startups selected through domestic application process in Japan which has engaged or is eager to engage in Africa will showcase their innovative business cases with proven potential of business scalability and impact in contributing to the SDGs. Each business pitching will be flourished with advice and comments from the experts and capitalists who owns knowledge and/or experiences on the African market as for investment and/or social entrepreneurship. The session casts new potential of Africa and enables participants to feel the lively vibrations of innovative businesses in Africa that have a potential of “leapfrogging”.
Moderator
Mr. Ken Masui
Co-Founder・Co-CEO, EDGEof, Inc.Founder and Co-CEO of EDGEof, a GameChangers’ Studio enabling various talents to join together and scale for high impact projects. Music Director & Creative Director of Mr. Children. CEO of Spark Neuro Japan. Project Producer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games & FIFA World Cup. Started his career as radio DJ.
Mentors
(373KB)
-
Speakers
(300KB)
-
Innovation for the SDGs
-
14:20Award ceremony
-
14:30Adjournment

*There will be a live stream on YouTube from the site of the event.
*A satellite venue will be set up in PACIFICO Yokohama Exhibition Hall B (Seminar Room B08). These seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Please provide a copy of your business card at the registration desk.
Official Sponsors



TICAD7 Official Side Event
Inquiries
Japan-Africa Business Forum & EXPO Registration Desk
E-mail: info@japanafricaforum.org