The Kampala Innovation Week 2019 (KIW) is set to run for the third time in October from the 16th to the 18th at the Kololo Independence Grounds.
This year, organized by Startup Uganda, an association of Uganda’s Startup enablers and supported by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), it promises to be bigger and better.
Startup Uganda currently consists of prominent hubs such as Design Hub Kampala, Outbox, Innovation Village, Tribe Kampala among others. It’s aim is to assemble all key players in the Startup Ecosystem to raise Uganda's profile in the startup space, provide visibility to it's entrepreneurs, and attract investors & global partnerships.
Towards this vision, KIW will gather Uganda’s entire innovation community under one roof to “Showcase, Discover & Engage”.
“This Kampala Innovation Week is a demonstration that working together to build our startup ecosystem is possible, and the benefits are immense. KIW has provided a platform for all ecosystem enablers to start out on a long journey to build out the capital, knowledge, networks and infrastructure that is required for our startups to succeed. We believe that we can achieve more together. “ – Richard Zulu, Startup Uganda
From humble beginnings in 2017 with just over 150 attendees, KIW more than doubled its attendance to 350 active participants in 2018, and thanks to support by UNCDF and various national & international partners (Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation, GSMA, International Trade Center), is set to break the threshold of 1000 attendees in 2019.
The event will bring together Uganda’s Innovators, investors, ecosystem enablers, the private sector and development partners and most an audience of Ugandans who are eager to learn about innovations in the country.
Under the theme ‘Showcase. Discover. Engage.’, a conducive space will be created to display the latest in Ugandan innovation from startups, private sector players and development partners. There will be access to and information on platforms and resources available to enable ecosystem players’ efforts.
Through pitch competitions we will explore innovative solutions to various community challenges and enable those innovative solutions to find opportunities for investment.
With over 30 side sessions and masterclasses planned, there will be a chance to discuss about how to take Uganda’s innovation and startup ecosystem to the next level, find potential partners, customers, investors or investees, and engage with various thought leaders on how to take both your business and the Ugandan Startup Ecosystem to the next level.
Head over to our website, www.kiw.ug and register today, to either attend, pitch or exhibit!
About Startup Uganda:
Startup Uganda is an association of key players in the Ugandan Startup Ecosystem who, with the support of the UN Capital Development Fund, aim to consolidate and connect the activities of all it's stakeholders. We catalyze developments in the sector through increased engagement, information exchange and more targeted communication. Our mission is to support the growth of the Ugandan Startup Ecosystem by maximizing its exposure to international investment & partnerships and telling the story of Ugandan Entrepreneurship to a global audience.
About United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF in Uganda is implementing a programme on developing Uganda’s digital economy as part of its new global strategy of “Leaving no one behind in the digital era”. The Programme has a specific focus on empowering rural communities, smallholder farmers, agri-businesses and refugees - to lead productive and healthy lives, by expanding access and usage of digital services.
UNCDF’s support to “Startup Uganda” is part of its “inclusive innovation” pillar, and seeks to convene and engage the start-up ecosystem so as to foster support to start-ups and drive digital innovation in Uganda. This in turn will lead to more inclusive innovative business models and services to be tested and deployed at scale in various sectors [Agriculture, Education, Health, Energy, Finance], thus contributing to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG’s).
For more information: http://kiw.ug
Esther Nshakira
esther.nshakira@uncdf.org
0775075304
