Jack Ma is the Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group. The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative is Jack Ma’s flagship entrepreneur program in Africa led by the Jack Ma Foundation. The Prize will host a grand finale pitch competition in Africa where ten finalists from across the continent will compete for a share of US$1 million in total grant prize money.
On his first visit to South Africa in 2018, Jack announced that he is looking to empower African startups by allocating $10 million over the next 10 years for the development of digital startups. Entrepreneurs of any age, gender, and sector who are nationals from any of the 54 African countries are encouraged to apply.
See also: Africa Fintech Foundry calls for $10,000 Pitch Submission
“By 2030, we hope to identify and shine a spotlight on 100 African entrepreneur heroes who will inspire the continent. From day one, our approach has been community-based and focused on inclusiveness; to be truly for Africans and by Africans,” said Beth Yu, Executive Secretary-General at the Jack Ma Foundation.
Jack Ma Foundation has selected Kenya’s Nailab as its continent partner for the annual pitch competition. The Prize is focused on empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs, with a focus on small businesses, grassroots communities and women-founded enterprises.
“The Netpreneur Prize Initiative has brought together a strong ecosystem of players to support both technology-driven and traditional businesses. We look forward to unveiling the full slate of regional partners and to receiving applications from promising African entrepreneurs in the coming weeks,” said Sam Gichuru, Founder and CEO, Nailab.
Schedule of events
March 27th, 2019: Applications open to entrepreneurs from across the continent
June 30th, 2019: Applications deadline for review and judging process
August 2019: Announcement of top 50 finalists
October 2019: Announcement of 10 finalists
November 2019: Grand Finale Pitch event
For more information about the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, visit: www.netpreneur.africa