This presentation was held during the Lift Conference in Geneva in February 2016. It details how African entrepreneurs are taking the fast track to innovation by skipping whole generations of technologies and rethinking products and services for a global audience. It also presents a formula for how to think of African innovation in a global context.

1. seedstarsworld*
@marcelloscherme @gregpeps
LEAPFROGGING AS
AN INNOVATION PATTERN:
HOW AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS
ARE TAKING THE FAST TRACK

2. Marcello Schermer
marcello@seedstarsworld.com
@marcelloscherme
Gregory Pepper
gregory@seedstarsworld.com
@gregpeps

3. WHO DO WE HAVE IN THE ROOM?
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

4. 1) WHAT IS SSW?
2) BUSTING MYTHS
3) THE NUMBERS
4) STEP IN THE SHOES OF AN
ENTREPRENEUR

5. WHAT IS
SEEDSTARS WORLD?

6. SEED STARS WORLD

7. 2015 Itinerary
7
Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa,
Cape Town, Dakar, Dar Es
Salaam, Gaborone, Kampala,
Kigali, Lagos, Luanda, Maputo,
Nairobi
`LATAM
9 regional events
CEE & MENA
15 regional events
Africa
13 regional events
Asia & Oceania
16 regional events
Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima,
Mexico City, Montevideo,
Panama, Quito, Santiago, Sao
Paulo
Alger, Amman, Baku, Beirut,
Belgrade, Cairo, Casablanca,
Dubai, Istanbul, Kiev, Moscow,
Ramallah, Sofia, Tehran,
Yerevan
Bangalore, Bangkok, Dhaka, Ho
Chi Minh, HK, Islamabad, Jakarta,
Kuala Lumpur, Manila,
Naypyidaw, Seoul, Shanghai,
Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo
50+ cities &
events
4 regional teams
on the ground

8. INVEST
CONNECT
PROMOTE

9. INVEST
$500k = Global Winner
$500k = Best Travel Startup

10. CONNECT
500+ partners
300+ investors
50+ countries

11. PROMOTE
Globally
400+ articles
50+ countries

12. Seedstars Summit in Lausanne
12
#01
MEDIA COVERAGE
80+ journalists from all over the
world come discover emerging
market startups
………………………………………...
CONNECTING THE DOTS
1000+ attendance from 50+
countries
joined the Final Event in 2015
………………………………………...
1000+
innovators
250+
articles
50+
local winners
100+
investors
BOOTCAMP
50+ entrepreneurs follow a 4 day
bootcamp to improve their pitch &
learn new skills
………………………………………...
NETWORKING
100+ investors & corporates
connected with top tech startups
………………………………………...
#02 #03 #04

13. BUSTING MYTHS:
WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT AFRICA?

14. Classify these countries from largest to smallest
population:
A. South Africa
B. Kenya
C. Nigeria
D.Ethiopia

15. Classify these countries from largest to smallest
population:
A. Nigeria (183mio)
B. Ethiopia (99mio)
C. South Africa (55mio)
D.Kenya (45mio)

16. The real size of Africa
Africa Population today (2016):
1.2 billion
Africa Population 2025:
1.5 billion
Africa Population 2050:
2.5 billion

17. What is the median age of Africa?
A. 12.8
B. 19.5
C. 23.2
D.32.3

18. What is the median age of Africa?
A. 12.8
B. 19.5
C. 23.2
D.32.3

19. What is the median age of Africa?
A. 12.8
B. 19.5
C. 23.2
D.32.3
E. Europe = 41.9

22. What is the mobile phone penetration in Africa?
A. 21%?
B. 34%?
C. 47%?
D.65%?

23. What is the mobile phone penetration in Africa?
A. 21%?
B. 34%?
C. 47%?
D.65%?

24. What is the mobile phone penetration in Africa?
A. 21%?
B. 34%?
C. 47%?
D.65%?
E. USA = 103%

25. 2014 2015
China India
United States China
Japan Indonesia
Brazil South Africa
United Kingdom Brazil
Germany Pakistan
India Nigeria
South Korea Egypt
Russia Vietnam
Italy Bangladesh
TOP 10 SMARTPHONE
MARKETS FOR GROWTH
BY VALUE

26. What is the bandwidth capacity growth rate in Africa
(between 2011-2015)?
A. 27%?
B. 39%?
C. 42%?
D.51%?

27. What is the bandwidth capacity growth rate in Africa
(between 2011-2015)?
A. 27%?
B. 39%?
C. 42%?
D.51%?

29. How many hours per day do South Africans spend on
social media on average?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D.4

30. How many hours per day do South Africans spend on
social media on average?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D.4

31. How many hours per day do South Africans spend on
social media on average?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D.4
E. USA = 2

33. What percentage of the Kenyan GDP flows through
mobile phones?
A. 13%?
B. 29%?
C. 42%?
D.67%?

34. What percentage of the Kenyan GDP flows through
mobile phones?
A. 13%?
B. 29%?
C. 42%?
D.67%?

36. Source: http://www.gsma.com

37. Sources: United Nations, World Bank, Internet World Stats, eMarketer, Statista

38. WHAT DO ALL
THESE NUMBERS
MEAN TO YOU?

39. ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN AFRICA
THE NUMBERS

40. The funding landscape

41. The funding landscape

42. The funding landscape
SOUTH AFRICA
Ave Deal Size:
$500k - $1,2mill
Main Sector: Fintech
TANZANIA
Ave Deal Size:
$107k
Off Grid Electric 98% funds
Main Sector: SolarNIGERIA
Ave Deal Size:
$1,6mill
Main Sectors: Fintech &
eCommerce
GHANA
Ave Deal Size:
$218k
Main Sector:
Fintech
KENYA
Ave Deal Size:
$940k - $2,6mill
(with M-KOPA)
Main Sector:
Solar
EGYPT
Ave Deal Size:
$950k
Main Sector:
eCommerce

43. The funding landscape

44. TRENDS
FROM NO TECH TO HIGH TECH
ENABLING VS REPLACING PEOPLE
GROWING MIDDLE CLASS

45. WHAT MAKES INNOVATION
IN AFRICA UNIQUE?

46. Tools
46
Solar SMS USSD IoT

47. Case Studies
47
Counterfeit
Medication
Mobile Phone
Charging
Findinga Job Better Farming

48. COUNTERFEIT
MEDICATION

49. COUNTERFEIT
MEDICATION

50. HOW WOULD YOU
SOLVE THIS?

51. MPEDIGREE
GHANA

52. Case Studies
52
Counterfeit
Medication
Mobile Phone
Charging
Findinga Job Better Farming

53. MOBILE PHONE
CHARGING

54. HOW WOULD YOU
SOLVE THIS?

56. Case Studies
56
Counterfeit
Medication
Mobile Phone
Charging
Findinga Job Better Farming

57. LOOKING FOR
JOBS

58. HOW WOULD YOU
SOLVE THIS?

59. Confidential
Giraffe enables businesses to get the right staff within 48 hours, at very low cost
Jobseeker Employer
Jobseeker
creates CV by
SMSing 34345
Employer logs
staff request
online
Match best
candidates
Candidates
receive SMS and
reply if interested
Candidates arrive
for interview
Schedule
interview
CV stored
in
database
34345
59

60. Case Studies
60
Counterfeit
Medication
Mobile Phone
Charging
Findinga Job Better Farming

61. BETTER
FARMING

62. HOW WOULD YOU
SOLVE THIS?

63. EMPOWERING
FARMERS

64. WHAT DID YOU
TAKE AWAY?

65. Innovation made in Africa
Global Problem
Local Solution
Global
Awareness
Sweet Spot

66. AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS CAN LEVERAGE
THE BEST TECHNOLOGIES & KNOWLEDGE
TO SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS
THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD
IS NOT EVEN AWARE OF.

67. Q & A

68. THANK YOU!