Latitude59 is seeking the boldest early-stage startups from Kenya and across Africa to compete for a prize pool of non-equity funding. One African startup will receive an invitation to participate at the semi-finals of Latitude59 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia. For two years in a row, the prize pool for the Latitude59 Pitch Competition in Estonia has been one million euros. Interested startups can apply here.
Latitude59’s CEO Liisi Org, stated that Latitude59 is the most international, impactful, and diverse startup and technology conference in the Baltic States and New Nordics and a global platform that connects startups, investors, and other startup ecosystem builders around the world. “Last year’s strong results showed us that African startups are competing at the highest level, and have great potential in globally important areas such as greentech, fintech, and cleantech. So now we are back in Kenya for the second year in a row and invite founders all across Africa to apply and present their startups at the Latitude59 Pitch Competition in Kenya,” said Org.
The Latitude59 Pitch Competition is seeking startups with proven traction and a core team based in Africa. The application deadline for the Latitude59 Kenya Pitch Competition is November 1, 2024. The finals will be held on the main stage of the Latitude59 Kenya Edition conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 28.
From among all the applying startups, a selection will be made, and the 10 strongest teams will be selected to receive professional pitch training and mentoring. These teams will compete for a prize pool of non-equity funding and various partners’ prizes. One African startup will receive a fast-track invitation to Latitude59 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia, and will participate in the pre-finals. Latitude59 will cover the cost of the roundtrip to Estonia.
According to Dolores Daniel, the project manager for Latitude59 Kenya Edition, early-stage B2B startups from Kenya and across Africa are welcome to apply. “Last year’s pitch competition in Kenya was impressive, with nearly 300 startups. The level of candidates was very strong – many had already secured customers, clients, and initial investments. We are excited to be in Kenya once again and look forward to working with this year’s candidates. We do not limit the areas, but the presence of a technological component and a visibly scalable business model are important. Ideally, we are seeking startups with a functioning MVP, clear traction, and teams who are actively fundraising,” explained Daniel.
Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2024 will take place on November 28 in Nairobi, Kenya. This will be the second satellite event organized by Latitude59 in Nairobi. Last year’s event, held in December, attracted nearly 800 participants from Africa and around the world. This year, Latitude59 Kenya Edition is expecting 2000 participants to attend.