Google and business accelerator, Co-creation Hub is looking to link hardware companies in Africa with tool and component manufacturers in Asia.
The project is being implemented as part of the PitchDrive II initiative.
A statement from CcHUB said the start-ups would participate in a three-week, five-city Asian tech tour across Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo and would explore funding opportunities and share learning from the Asian technology market.
African hardware and deep tech entrepreneurs looking to build connections with Asia’s innovation and manufacturing ecosystems would be selected by the PitchDrive team to embark on a landmark tour that aimed to facilitate Africa-Asia collaborations to strengthen deep technology companies in Africa.
The statement read in part, “Starting in Rwanda on August 15, 2019, the cohort will first benefit from a two-day bootcamp at the Kigali-based CcHUB Design Lab, sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and Innovation Rwanda. Following the bootcamp, start-ups will visit Singapore, China, South Korea and conclude the tour in Japan with a pitch event in partnership with JETRO, during the Tokyo International Conference of Africa’s Development event.
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CcHUB Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, ‘Bosun Tijani, said, “The growing relationship between Africa and Asia presents an opportunity for African start-ups to leverage the advantages of a distributed innovation system that the world today offers. PitchDrive II is a unique opportunity to inspire international collaboration, strengthen and grow world-class African businesses while helping start-ups explore markets, networks and relationships in key Asian countries.”
On his part, the Europe, Middle East and Africa Partnerships Manager at Google for Start-ups, Connor Swenson, said, ”We’re thrilled to be supporting the second round of PitchDrive. African tech start-ups are building companies on a global scale, and we believe connecting them to Asian markets through the Google for Start-ups partner network will not only help them grow even further, but provide a chance for Asian start-ups to learn from best-in-class African entrepreneurs.”