{"id":17106,"date":"2024-05-30T11:37:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/?p=17106"},"modified":"2024-05-30T11:52:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:52:18","slug":"microsoft-is-set-to-host-the-african-startups-ai-fest-the-largest-microsoft-africa-virtual-event-on-the-continent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/2024\/05\/30\/microsoft-is-set-to-host-the-african-startups-ai-fest-the-largest-microsoft-africa-virtual-event-on-the-continent\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft is set to host the African Startups AI Fest \u2013 the largest Microsoft Africa virtual event on the continent"},"content":{"rendered":"

The hybrid event will bring together startup founders and pioneers from across Africa;\u00a0Microsoft\u2019s startup partners and customers will take to the main stage to share their stories of success;\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Up to 10,000 startups will be given access to industry-specific expertise and insights on how best to take their business to the next level with the help of AI<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Microsoft announced the introduction of its first African Startups AI Fest at GITEX Africa in Marrakech, Morocco today. Spearheaded by the organisation\u2019s Africa Transformation Office (ATO), the event promises to inspire and support startups to accelerate their journey to market with the right AI-powered tech solutions. The event, scheduled for 6 June 2024, will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, with virtual access available to attendees across the continent.<\/p>\n

The African Startups AI Fest will bring together founders, entrepreneurs, business decision-makers, engineers and developers in the startups space from across the continent. This inaugural event aims to showcase the transformative power of AI and how startups can use this revolutionary technology to drive innovation and take their ideas not only to local markets but a global stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a need to provide startups on the continent with the resources to take their concepts from the drawing board to customers,\u201d says Lillian Barnard, Microsoft Africa President. \u201cFrom AI-enabled tech solutions to advanced digital skills, startups need to be given every opportunity to thrive in a highly competitive global market because they are the catalysts for job creation and economic growth in Africa.\u201d Overcoming mounting economic pressures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recent research from The African Tech Startups Funding Report (http:\/\/apo-opa.co\/3KlSzQs<\/a>) has found that funding for tech startups in Africa has declined after a highly successful 2022 when 633 tech startups raised over $3 billion in funding.<\/p>\n

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At Microsoft, we believe that technology, particularly the transformative power of AI, holds the key to a more empowered future in Africa<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIn the face of a challenging economic climate, startups across Africa have demonstrated remarkable resilience,\u201d Barnard says. \u201cDespite the tough conditions, they have ignited a wave of innovation. Empowered with the right tech tools, startups can scale their solutions, enhance productivity, and drive growth. At Microsoft, we believe that technology, particularly the transformative power of AI, holds the key to a more empowered future in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding the right tech partner<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the years, Microsoft has supported startups on the continent to grow and develop. These success stories include the likes of\u00a0RE Legal Interact, M-KOPA, Omnisient, Zen Dawa, Deepecho and Terragon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The hybrid event will bring together startup founders and pioneers from across Africa;\u00a0Microsoft\u2019s startup partners and customers will take to the main stage to share their stories of success;\u00a0Up to 10,000 startups will be given access to industry-specific expertise and insights on how best to take their business to the next level with the help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[366,343,322],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-international","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}