As start-ups in Africa seek investments in growing their businesses, DEMO Africa, an initiative of LIONS@FRICA, has released the names of the 40 start-ups that have qualified to launch their products at the DEMO Africa event slated for September 2014 in Lagos Nigeria, with Nigeria (14) topping the list of the number of start-ups followed by Kenya, Ghana and Egypt, while Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Ethiopia will have two representatives each. Tunisia, Benin, Cameroon, Uganda and Zimbabwe have also earned their space at the DEMO Africa platform.

The event which is being hosted in Nigeria for the first time since its debut in Kenya two years ago is in recognition of the increasing ICT innovation and entrepreneurship springing up across the country, will see 40 start-ups take the centre stage to launch products in the following sectors: communication, education, finance and banking, health, media and retail.

According to the organisers, “We are pleased to announce the 40 entrepreneurs selected to launch at this year’s DEMO Africa conference, to be held in Lagos, Nigeria, on September 22 – 26. DEMO Africa is a must-attend event for both investors, entrepreneurs, tech media & others looking for Africa’s ‘next big thing’ where various angel networks that have emerged across Africa over the past years will converge. Kicking off innovation event DEMO Africa 2014, venture capital community VC4Africa presents a special Investor summit-” the future of Angel Investing in Africa, focused on investors in African start-ups and early stage companies.

The event will be the first time Angel investor network like Cairo Angels, Lagos Angels Network, Ghana Angel Investors Network, Africa Angels Network, Angel Africa List and others come together to meet, exchange best practices, share lessons learned and set the road map for the future. Experts from organizations such as infoDev, the WorldBank, African Development Bank, the European Business Angels Networks (EBAN), VC4Africa’s Investor Network and others are also invited to join the conversation”.

Speaking at the event launch, the Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, while reiterating the ministry’s commitment to harnessing the growth of ICT said, “it is our vision to make Nigeria the ICT Hub for Africa by harnessing and consolidating the growth of the ICT sector, as well as increase the integration of ICTs across all sectors in a manner that supports the diversification of the economy while achieving job and wealth creation”

For the first time in history, Federal Government has focused attention on how to assist the ICT industry through various initiatives being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology. One of such is the ICT innovation project that will serve as a catalyst to the innovation ecosystem and create successful ICT entrepreneurs.

The minister further stated, “Africa may have missed out on the industrial revolution, but we surely will not in the ICT revolution. Through innovation, we will put Nigeria and Africa in general on the ICT map. Realizing the huge potential of the software industry, we have put in place a set of initiatives that will assist the tech start-ups to create successful businesses, which will directly create jobs and wealth”.

Also speaking on the event, Mr. Yele Okeremi, chairman DEMO Africa Local Organising Committee expressed confidence that the event is not only going to celebrate the amount of innovation coming out of Nigeria (14 start-ups out of 40) but will also beam its light on the impact that ICT is beginning to make on the economic development in Nigeria and across Africa.

The event which is being hosted in Nigeria for the first time since its debut in Kenya two years ago is in recognition of the increasing ICT innovation and entrepreneurship springing up across the country, will see 40 start-ups take the centre stage to launch products in the following sectors: communication, education, finance and banking, health, media and retail.