Cristobal Alonso

Insights from Iyinoluwa Aboyeji highlight critical points about the startup ecosystem in Africa: *Pre-seed and seed investors such as Future Africa are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the funding boom at later stages (Series A-D). *The need for a world-class accelerator program in Africa, such as Accelerate Africa. *The importance of investors/founders who understand context, especially in times of crises, such as the recent funding contraction #FutureAfrica #AccelarateAfrica #VentureCapital

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Embracing the Future: The Continental AI Strategy for Africa I am excited to share insights from the newly released Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a transformative blueprint designed to harness the power of AI for Africa's development and prosperity. This strategy, adopted by the African Union, underscores the immense potential of AI to drive socio-economic transformation, enhance public service delivery, and create new industries across the continent. Key Highlights: 🤖 AI as a Catalyst for Change: The strategy emphasizes AI's role in achieving the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By leveraging AI, we can stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and address pressing challenges in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏻 Inclusive Development: Guided by principles of ethics, inclusion, and diversity, the strategy aims to ensure that AI benefits all Africans, particularly women and youth. It recognizes the importance of building local capabilities and fostering innovation to create a vibrant AI ecosystem. ⚠️ Addressing Risks and Challenges: While AI presents significant opportunities, it also poses risks, including bias and job displacement. The strategy outlines a comprehensive approach to mitigate these risks, ensuring that AI is developed and deployed responsibly. 💰 Investment and Cooperation: The strategy calls for increased public and private investment in AI, as well as regional and international cooperation to enhance Africa's position in the global AI landscape. As we move forward, it is crucial for all stakeholders—governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society—to collaborate in implementing this strategy. Together, we can unlock AI's vast potential to empower our citizens and transform our economies. Let's embrace this opportunity to shape a prosperous future for Africa through innovation and technology! #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAfrica #Innovation #SustainableDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #Collaboration #Agenda2063

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Janade Du Plessis of Launch Africa Ventures and Polo Mohau Leteka of IDF Capital recently shared some valuable insights into the fintech landscape in Africa, stressing on exits in Africa. In their discussion with CNBC Africa, they highlighted some key takeaways that are worth noting. 👉 Firstly, investors are looking for exits, which is why they invest in the first place. 👉 Secondly, big banks and other corporates are struggling to crack the financial inclusion dilemma faced by the continent, which could lead to the acquisition of smaller players. 👉 Thirdly, fintech is a broad space with 9 verticals, so understanding where you play is important. Being agile and able to integrate into other solutions is becoming increasingly important, with embedded solutions on the rise. 👉 Fourthly, fintech is increasingly becoming the basis for access in related sectors like health and education. Improving financial inclusion is seen as the golden thread to improving the lives of African people. 👉 Lastly, the pipeline of deals that are investable is crucial for the growth of fintech in Africa. The discussion also touched on the journeys of women in fintech, with Nicole Dunn of Revio emphasizing the importance of understanding the space, regulation, and adoption of your target market. Regulation is slowly improving, but transparency of processes and controls, stability in institutions and currency across the continent are still lacking, negatively impacting the ability to raise funds. Mélanie Keïta of Melanin Kapital highlighted that the product market is key to getting the right funders on board. Raising funding without this is a challenge, so physically getting into the market you are serving to understand the problem is crucial. Innovative solutions that are fit for the problem can leapfrog startups in solving for financial inclusion. Overall, the fintech landscape in Africa is complex and requires a deep understanding of the market, regulation, and adoption to succeed. Share your thoughts below in the comments 👇 Share the insights by sharing this post with your network ♻ Shout out to Zachariah George for sharing this with us! #fintech #founders #vc #africa #financialinclusion

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Building a startup is hard, but building one in Africa is even harder—not just because of the typical entrepreneurial challenges, but due to the prevailing lack of trust. In Africa, business is often met with skepticism, and trust must be earned over time. In contrast, many advanced countries begin with trust, offering the benefit of the doubt when issues arise. It's time to change this narrative and foster a generation of trusted, reliable businesses in Africa. Join me this month as I discuss this and more with Miden.

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🚀 Why the African Startup Ecosystem Needs a Stronger M&A Culture 🚀 One of the key challenges holding back the African startup ecosystem is the lack of a developed mergers & acquisitions (M&A) infrastructure. Large corporations rarely acquire innovative startups in Africa, leaving most early-stage companies to either struggle or chase an elusive IPO on foreign stock exchanges like the NYSE. 🌍📉 But here's the reality: Investors need an exit strategy. This is not a marriage, but often just a honeymoon with an expiration date. Until we develop a robust exit infrastructure—including M&As—many investors will hesitate to bet big on African startups. A healthy M&A environment allows investors to realize returns without relying solely on IPOs, which are few and far between. For the ecosystem to thrive, we need to: 📣 Foster more corporate-startup acquisitions, allowing innovation to thrive within established businesses. 🎺 Develop local exit strategies that allow startups to scale and investors to cash out sustainably. Shift the narrative from IPO-only exits to a mix of acquisitions, buyouts, and strategic partnerships that create value for all stakeholders. It's time to build an African exit strategy that works for startups, investors, and the broader economy. Let’s create an ecosystem where innovation can scale and investment can grow. 🌱💡 #Startups #Investment #Innovation #MergersAndAcquisitions #AfricaTech #ExitStrategy #EcosystemGrowth #InvestInAfrica #M&A #TechInnovation

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I had the pleasure and honour of speaking at SEMAFOR’s The Next #3 Billion event. These insightful discussions have undoubtedly rejuvenated our interest and will to contribute to Africa's progress.   Today, as the world is in awe of AI, it's obvious that not everyone is seated at the same table. Regarding Africa's risk of falling behind, I believe that while it's a real concern, we must also be optimistic. The key to Africa's digital transformation lies in these four steps:   First, inclusive access to digital devices. To achieve this, we must streamline tax and duty applications on these items.   Second, accelerating the development of digital skills and literacy is crucial. We know that young people are hungry for this knowledge, but we lack the necessary institutions to provide the tools for learning.   Third, streamlining regulatory frameworks is essential to facilitate digital innovation. This requires collaboration and dialogue between public and private sector actors.   Finally, then comes AI - addressing the path to embracing it and its potential. A big Thank You to Diana Layfield, Chair of British International Investment, and Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor of SEMAFOR Africa, for this insightful discussion.   Let’s Grow Together!   #TheNext3Billion #DigitalTransformation #Africa

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Read it for free or order from Amazon. https://lnkd.in/dtqU9bWk Investing in Africa: A Guide to Profitable Investment Opportunities in Africa Explore the dynamic landscape of investment opportunities across Africa with this essential guide for entrepreneurs and investors. Authored by a seasoned entrepreneur with deep roots in the continent's tech and business sectors, this book provides an insightful, comprehensive exploration of the unique economic environments of various African regions. From understanding the legal frameworks and economic policies to identifying high-growth sectors such as technology, agriculture, and services, this book offers practical advice and strategic insights to navigate and capitalize on the burgeoning markets within Africa. Whether you're looking to expand your existing business or seeking new investment ventures, this guide equips you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions that align with both profit and progress. by Bishop John Egyawan

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2/2 #Connectedwomenfoundation : Our approach is twofold 1) We're tackling the issue head-on by addressing the glaring #genderdisparity in major tech conferences. Through strategic partnerships with organizers worldwide, we aim to ensure that women CEOs & #female #entrepreneurs have equal opportunities to showcase their expertise, secure funding, & expand their networks on a global scale. It's about more than just representation; it's about leveling the playing field & rewriting the narrative 2) We're investing in the future by empowering the next generation of female innovators. Through collaborative efforts with associations, collectives, & foundations globally, we're championing initiatives that provide support & resources to girls pursuing careers in #STEM fields. Because we firmly believe that educating a girl isn't just about #empowering an individual; it's about strengthening entire communities & driving #sustainable change #Education is the cornerstone of progress, & innovation is its driving force. Together, they hold the power to break the cycle of poverty, bridge the gap of inequality, & propel economies forward. It's a formidable combination, & it's time to harness its full potential So, let me ask you: will we continue to passively observe the perpetuation of gender disparity, or will we take decisive action to effect real change? The choice is clear : at CWF, we've made our decision Now, it's time for the world to follow suit. Join us, & together, let's build a future where every woman is not just seen but celebrated, where every voice is not just heard but valued The time for change is now Join us : https://lnkd.in/e7G_WFiZ Myriad : https://lnkd.in/e3KnHiex Viva Technology GITEX EUROPE GITEX AFRICA GITEX GLOBAL Largest Tech & Startup Show in the World Consumer Technology Association CES Slush Expand North Star National Retail Federation 100 Davos Women The Aspen Institute Startup Chile WORLD ELECTRONICS FORUM, Morocco 2024 OECD-OCDE Davos Digital Forum UN Women Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Business France Pascal Cagni Mana Tech eMerge Americas La French Tech SISTA WOMEN IN TECH ® Global WOMEN IN TECH®USA Global Women's Forum Femmes@Numérique La French Tech Angers Angers Loire Métropole Ministère délégué chargé de l’Égalité femmes/hommes et de la Lutte contre les discriminations Web Summit #Angers, France where it all began. To every #women - anywhere - who want to be heard in #innovation & #technology: break the silence & end invisibility Your voices deserve to be heard, your talents deserve to be recognized & your impact will transform the world Let’s continue to redefine the future, together #genderequally #sustainibility #womenintechnology #womenCEO #codingforwomen #stem #diversity #electronics #digital #philanthropy #international #education #educationforwomen #womeninstem #womeninsciences The Female Quotient Women's Forum for the Economy & Society (A Publicis Groupe company) A.L.P. (Anne Lauvergeon Partners)

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