The largest gathering of Africa-focused early stage investors is back for its 9th edition taking place from 2 - 4 November, 2022. This year the three-day Summit will be a mix of virtual components and in-person Investor meetups in over 25 cities all over the world. The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit 2022 (#AESIS2022) is once again joined by renowned investors, industry associations, policy makers and ecosystem support partners in the true sense of for investors, by investors.

#AESIS2022 is the annual, exclusive, must attend assembly proudly brought to you by VC4A and ABAN. Each year, the hosts bring a unique theme and approach to challenges, trends and insights on shaping the future of the investment scene on the continent. The two main themes this year are “Investing with a Gender Lens” and “Climate/Green Tech”.

Anticipate a dynamic mix of online and in-person activities

#AESIS2022 brings together investors and senior business leaders from angel networks, VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and the public sector. Here are the highlights coming up at #AESIS2022:

• 25+ Investor Meetups hosted by investor organizations happening simultaneously on the evening of November 2nd. Want to become a host in your own city? Indicate your interest before August 29th here (https://bit.ly/3C7iOaa);
• For the virtual Summit, the focus on Thursday November 3 will be on (pre-)Seed investments and Friday November 4 around Series A and later stage startups;
• Meet the 14 companies selected for the 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase: Women Founder edition. Venture Showcase alumni have been able to raise 500M+ USD so far;
• New this year: #AESIS2022 welcomes accelerator and ecosystem support organizations (ESOs) to participate in an ecosystem side event. Investors take the hot-seat in a reverse pitch to bridge the gap between views on being Investment ready. ESOs will hear directly from investors, their views on priority value-add brought to prospective investees through interventions. In addition, they will engage in workshops around their own financial sustainability as pipeline providers. This, and more in the afternoon (CAT) of Wednesday, November 2nd. 

In-Person Investor Meetups

Connect with the investor community right where you are. Investor Meetups at #AESIS2022 are locally-led events supported and organized by investor community members in 25+ cities. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to network with peers in an informal setting. Due to limited space, please keep an eye out on the event website to reserve a seat as of mid-September. If you would like to become a host you can register your interest here (https://bit.ly/3C7iOaa).

The 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa: Women founder edition

Out of $4.5B+ invested in African startups and scaleups last year, only 7% went to female founders [1]. That’s $1 for every $15 raised going to women-led ventures. In addition to creating awareness, VC4A launched the Venture Showcase Africa: Women founder edition (https://bit.ly/3w9Pk7T) as a concrete way to engage investors and drive capital support to outstanding women led companies. These high-impact, high-growth companies represent the best investment opportunities on the continent today, looking to raise Seed and Series A rounds of between $250K and $10M.

Building on the discussions at #AESIS2021

From the thought-provoking #AESIS2021 keynote delivered by David S. Rose, renowned Entrepreneur and Angel Investor, he remarked ‘The industry is being driven by a young and growing population that is tech-savvy and eager to start a business. Africa’s population is increasingly well connected and eager to consume digital solutions.’ These trends feed a growing interest in the continent and ensure continued investment and support for Africa's entrepreneurs.

Mathew Marsden, coFounder at GetLion concluded, ‘The event brought together leading minds in African investing, and in summary, the future is bright. Investment appetite is growing, more funds and angel syndicates are emerging, a diverse array of ecosystems are booming and even more “exits” are anticipated. The message for investors… get in or get left behind!’

In 2021 alone, Africa saw some of the biggest deal-flow successes till date, smashing the ceiling and closing $4.5B+ in investments across 740+ deals [1}. Despite the gaps and challenges plaguing the ecosystem, the trend is picking up momentum once again with startups accumulating $2.25B in the first four months of 2022 [2].

With over 2000 attendees expected and 80+ speakers from diverse verticals, the stage for #AESIS2022 is the premier meeting place for facilitating rich dialogue with stakeholders and a burst of power-packed networking opportunities throughout.

Join the discussion at #AESIS2022

Visit www.AfricaInvestorSummit.com (https://bit.ly/3w6bJTw) and make sure to block November 2-4 in your agenda. Successful registration will give you exclusive access to our community of investors representing over 90% of capital being invested into startups on the African continent. Approved investors get access to highly curated deal flow with the most investable ventures from emerging markets.

For media requests and partnership and sponsorship opportunities, please contact the organizers by email: team@AfricaInvestorSummit.com.

References:

1. ‘Africa’s Investment Report 2021’, Briter Bridges, https://bit.ly/3C5hm8f 
2. ‘African startups raise $2.25bn in first four months of 2022’, BusinessDay Nigeria, https://bit.ly/3pp2Cd4