AFRICARENA NAIROBI

SUMMIT

AFRICA CLIMATE TECH WEEK

SUMMIT GUIDE

3- 4 SEPTEMBER 2024

www.africarena.com

@africarena @AfricArenaaccelerator @africarena @africarena @africarena

 WELCOME
Welcome to the seventh live edition of AfricArena Tour,
pioneering the fusion of digital and in-person tech experiences
across the African continent.

Our summit and ancillary events offer a unique opportunity to

delve into current and future tech trends while spotlighting
Africa's finest startups and innovators. Spanning five regions,
AfricArena has convened renowned figures from global and
African tech landscapes, championing excellence in African
Tech. Previous editions boasted 700+ attendees, 60+ speakers,
and over $500 million in impactful deals.

The two-day AfricArena Nairobi Summit facilitates connections

between 20+ top African startups and 100+ global investors,
showcasing the continent's innovation prowess.

Thanks to our esteemed tech ecosystem partners, Nairobi is

fast emerging as East Africa’s top startup ecosystem hub and
gaining a reputation as Africa’s Climate Tech capital. At this
summit, 20+ founders who are pioneering highly scalable tech
startups in Africa will demonstrate Africa's green tech
leadership during the pitch tracks.

As we envision a collaborative, pan-African approach to

innovation, we're committed to fostering an environment that
fosters positive change. This year's Summit promises to offer
the ultimate platform to accelerate the growth of African tech
startups and ecosystems, underlining Africa's ascent as the
beacon of the future. Join us as we shape tomorrow's world
together.

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 AfricArena plays a unique and key role in unifying
Tech Startups, Corporations, and Investors.

Strengthen Connect
Strengthening the international Connecting founders with
traction of Africa’s most innovative investors and corporations.
tech startups.

Promote Attract
Attracting both entrepreneurs Promoting the African Tech
and investors to Africa. ecosystem and its opportunities.

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 Nairobi Tour 2024
Series of Events: Preview

31 August - 2 September
The AfricArena Nairobi Founder’s Bootcamp 2024
accelerates founders' knowledge in key areas
overlooked by other programs to prepare startups
Founder’s Bootcamp for the summit.
Maasai Lodge

2 September @9am
AFRICARENA
GRAND SUMMIT
The AfricArena Nairobi Learning Expedition
2022
provides investors and startups with a one-day tour
to explore Nairobi’s dynamic startup and tech
Learning Expedition ecosystem.
in Nairobi

2 September @6PM at
The Aviary Rooftop Bar
Dusit Princess Hotel Residences
The AfricArena VC Night is an informal networking
AfricArena VC Night | The event where startups and investors come together
Aviary Rooftop Bar, Dusit to share ideas for potential investments.
Princess Hotel Residences

3 - 4 September
The AfricArena Nairobi Summit 2024 will feature
20+ startups from Africa competing in pitch track
categories, with winners advancing to the
2-day AfricArena Nairobi AfricArena Grand Summit in December.
Summit |Shamba Events

3 September @6PM at Shamba Events

The 2024 AfricArena Nairobi Summit Innovation
Night will host summit attendees for an interactive
and lively networking event to connect with tech
AfricArena Innovation
Night | Shamba Events
ecosystem participants in Kenya.

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 Nairobi Summit AfricArise
Founder’s Bootcamp

Preceding the AfricArena Summits in various cities across

Africa each year, AfricArise offers selected founders a
remarkable opportunity to engage with speakers, ecosystem
partners, investors, and peers in a concentrated two-day
bootcamp focused on their growth.
The Founder’s Deal Flow Bootcamp accelerates founders'
knowledge in crucial areas often overlooked by other
incubation programs, equipping them for future investor
interactions, networking, and collaborations. Alongside
interactive workshops, founders can also connect with peers
and founders from across Africa through a series of events
and activities during the bootcamp.

This year, the venue for the AfricArise's ClimateTech

Founder’s Bootcamp will be at the Maasai Lodge on the
border of the Nairobi National Park, where the founders,
hosts and speakers will stay for 2 nights.

Check out our 2023 Founders Bootcamp Video for more

insights.

Scan the barcode and

don’t forget to
subscribe!
Welcome to AfricArena Wired!
This is AfricArena Wired - the African
tech ecosystem at the palm of your
hand. A reimagined and innovative
way of connecting african tech
founders, investors, partners, mentors
and ecosystem players.

Get Wired!
 AfricArise Learning Expedition
Overview

Lex’s Overview
2 September 2024
Objectives of the Learning Expedition

AfricArena & AfricArise provides partners, corporates delegates, and investors the
opportunity to explore entrepreneurial and investor scenes. We have designed a mini
tour where we cover topics while visiting leading co-working spaces, accelerators,
incubators, where key local innovation, speakers will be giving insights into one of
Africa’s most exciting tech landscapes. This occasion is designed to discover the
Nairobi innovation and cultural scene just before the AfricArena Nairobi Summit the
following day, on 3rd September. This is an extraordinary opportunity for
entrepreneurs alike to gain invaluable insight into the Kenyan ecosystem and its
important local innovation players in just one day.

The Learning Expedition is designed to cover key topics such as:

Corporate Collaboration
Funding in Nairobi
An Overview of the Innovation Landscape
Business in Nairobi & Africa
Soft-Landing Possibilities

Program for the Nairobi Learning Expedition

9:00 AM - 10:30: KCIC (map)

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Visit of E3 Capital (map)

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Lunch

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Visit to Impact Hub

Nairobi (map)

From 6:00 PM: VC Night @ The Aviary Rooftop

Bar, 8th Floor, Dusit Princess Hotel
Residences, Nairobi

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 SUMMIT PROGRAM
DAY ONE - TUESDAY 3 September 2024
All times are in EAT (East Africa Time)

9:00 GUESTS ARRIVE AND MINGLE

9:30 MC Welcome and Wake Up

9:40 AfricArena Welcome - Christophe Viarnaud (CEO)

9:45 Intro from Sponsors

10:00 Keynote: Why Africa Matters in the Global Climate Conversation

10:15 Panel Discussion: Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and

Carbon Credits on Sustainability

11:05 Pitch Challenge: Clean- Tech Program

11:55 Panel Discussion: Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and Investment

12:45 Pitch Challenge: Climatech Program (Korea-Africa Delegation)

13:30 LUNCH & NETWORKING

Panel Discussion: Future Farming: Integrating Climate-Resilient Crops with

15:00 Smart Technology

15:40 Pitch Challenge: Agritech Program

16:40 Panel Discussion: Green Tech Funding: Bridging Innovation and Impact

17:30 END OF DAY 1

18:00 INNOVATION NIGHT

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 SUMMIT PROGRAM
DAY TWO - WEDNESDAY 4 September 2024
All times are in EAT (East Africa Time)

9:00 GUESTS ARRIVE AND MINGLE

9:30 MC Welcome and Wake Up

9:40 Panel Discussion: The Circular Economy Revolution:

Scaling Sustainable Solutions

10:30 Pitch Challenge: Circular Economy Program

11:35 Keynote : Ecosystem Evolution: Building a Resilient Climate Tech Investment

Network

11:45 Panel Discussion: Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment

Ecosystem

11:45 Wired Speed Connect - Matchmaking ( Taking place in meeting rooms)

12:35 Pitch Challenge: Reverse Investor Pitch

13:30 AWARDS CEREMONY

14:10 LUNCH & NETWORKING

17:00 END OF SUMMIT

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 ACCELERATING
INNOVATION
From Africa to Europe

Methys is a unique international technology firm with expertise in Digital, Business

Intelligence, Private Equity and Acceleration Services. We pride ourselves in
consistent innovation and facilitate collaborative engagement between corporate,
investors and start-ups. Our footprint reaches across the globe with a presence
from Africa to Europe.

www.methys.com 9 l AFRICARENA 2024

CAPE TOWN | STELLENBOSCH | JOHANNESBURG | TUNIS | PARIS | LUXEMBOURG | LONDON

 Event MC

Tonee Ndungu
Entrepreneur | Speaker | Author

Tonee Ndungu is a visionary entrepreneur and the CEO of Kytabu, an EdTech

company that leverages AI to make education more accessible across Africa. With
extensive experience in fintech, AI, and community building, Tonee is dedicated to
driving social impact through technology and innovation. He is also the founder of
Tribbe, a fintech startup aimed at fostering financial inclusion among Africa’s youth.

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 Speakers

JOSHUA ROMISHER
CEO & HEAD OF PORTFOLIO
HOLOCENE

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ‘Why Africa Matters in the

Global Climate Conversation’
PANELLIST: ‘Green Tech Funding: Bridging
Innovation and Impact’

Joshua Romisher, is the CEO and Head of Portfolio at Holocene Ventures, a

company committed to positively impact the African climate landscape by building
a community of mission aligned, climate activists and investing in early-stage
climate tech startups. He will give a keynote address titled “Why Africa Matters in
the Global Climate Conversation”. Joshua holds a BSc in Economics and
International Business from the Pennsylvania State University.

JOSHUA MURIMA
HEAD OF ENGAGEMENT & INVESTOR RELATIONS
BRITERBRIDGES

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
‘Ecosystem Evolution: Building a Resilient Climate
Tech Investment Network- Briterbridges’

Joshua Murima is the Head of Ecosystem Engagement & Investor Relations at Briter
Bridges, a data driven research firm in Nairobi. He works closely with the local
community of tech founders, hubs and investors to forge friendships and
collaboration in a bid to unlock growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in Africa. He
will give a keynote address titled “Ecosystem Evolution: Building a Resilient Climate
Tech Investment Network”.

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 Speakers

CYNTHIA MWAURA
SENIOR INVESTMENT ANALYST
E3 CAPITAL

MODERATOR :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Cynthia Mwaura is a Senior Investment Analyst at E3 Capital where she is

responsible for managing deal flow, deal evaluation and execution, and portfolio
management, and is part of the team that closed the first investment under the E3
Low Carbon Economy Fund. She has spent the past 5+ years working with
entrepreneurs and investors across Sub-Saharan Africa within the financial
services, agriculture, energy, climate-tech, and real-estate sectors. Cynthia is
passionate about pioneering, scaling and sustaining tech-driven enterprises
across emerging markets. Prior to E3, Cynthia worked at Onafriq (prev. MFS
Africa) as an Investment Analyst and Open Capital as an Associate in
Management Consulting and Financial Advisory.

VIVIAN OPONDOH
DATA ANALYST

PANELLIST :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Vivian Opondoh is a versatile Data Analyst with a background in Aerospace

Engineering, Software Development, Entrepreneurship, and Data Science. She
founded Farmula, focusing on automating agricultural supply chains using data,
winning the GIZ Women in Agribusiness Agtech Innovation Award in 2021. Vivian's
experience includes roles at Health-e-net, Mastercard Foundation Alumni Network,
and currently as a Data Analyst at the World Food Programme. She leads LvngDB
to reduce food waste and mentors entrepreneurs through the WFP Innovation
Champions Community.
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 Speakers

ASAD ALI
FELLOW, STAGE CLIMATE-TECH INVESTOR
HOLOCENE

PANELLIST :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Asad Ali is an early stage climate-tech investor at Holocene, nature enthusiast and
former sustainability consultant dedicated to helping climate tech startups unlock
their potential.

DIANA MARANGA
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD
OCTAVIA CARBON

PANELLIST :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Diana Maranga is the Business Development Lead at Octavia Carbon and heads the
commercialisation team. She spearheads customer discovery and acquisition and
engages with investors to secure financing for our operations through revenue from
carbon credits and investments.

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 Speakers

KAMAL DEEN YAKUB

CHIEF VISIONARY OFFICER
TROTRO TRACTOR

PANELLIST :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Kamal-Deen Yakub is a social entrepreneur and a technology enthusiast with 15

years of corporate accounting and marketing experience. He is a hands-on
manager with expertise in startups, agtech, fiscal management and financial
reporting, and has a proven record of developing and implementing financial
and operational controls that improve P&L scenarios and competitively position
firms.

CAROLINE KIMANI
CARBON TECHNICAL EXPERT
CLIMATE ACTION PLATFORM FOR AFRICA (CAP-A)

PANELLIST :
Next-Gen Renewable Energy: The Impact of AI and
Carbon Credits on Sustainability

Caroline Kimani is a Carbon Technical Expert at CAP-A with experience in carbon

development, nature-based solutions, and household efficiency projects. Previously,
she worked at Earthbanc and ecosecurities managing land restoration projects and
carbon projects in Africa and Asia. Her commitment to advancing sustainable
climate solutions stems from her Bachelor of Science in Range Management and a
Master of Science in Range Socio Ecology from the University of Nairobi.

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 Speakers

JESSICA FRANCISCA COLAÇO

GENERAL PARTNER AT 101 PARTNERS;
CO-FOUNDER AT BRAVE AND IHUB NAIROBI;

MODERATOR :
Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and
Investment Panel

Jessica Francisca Colaço is a dynamic speaker and she has featured on global
platforms talking about her work in technology and entrepreneurship. She is an
entrepreneur and co-founder of Brave and iHub, computer scientist and C-level
executive, musician and public speaker. She is a TED fellow and Harambean. She is
currently the first female in tech and music in East Africa to release two music
singles NFTs on Open Sea and Rarible. She is a bass Guitarist who has played for
various afro-fusion and rock bands in Nairobi and released her EP entitled
Metamorphosis in Oct 2022. Jessica was the COO at Mpost (tech) and Director at
Vuna Kreative (music). She co-founded Brave (HR tech company) based in the US
and UK, and she co-founded the iHub with Erik Hersman in 2010. It was the first
tech-hub in Kenya and East Africa.

ONYEKA EKEH
ACTING COO/DIGITAL IMPACT & MARKETING HEAD
BLUESPACE AFRICA TECHNOLOGIES

PANELLIST :
Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and
Investment Panel

Onyeka Ekeh is a product marketing manager and communication strategist with

over a decade of corporate experience. Currently the acting COO and Head of
Digital Impact at BlueSPACE Financial Cloud, she drives innovative financial
solutions and growth initiatives. Relocating to Ghana in 2018, she delved into tech
entrepreneurship, excelling in UI design and product management. Onyeka leads
digital marketing strategies at BlueSPACE, fostering innovation and sustainability.
She supports startups in the tech ecosystem, focusing on effective business growth
strategies. Notably, she won the first all-women Startup Weekend in Accra in 2019
and has worked with startups in Accra and Lagos. Passionate about inclusivity, she
advocates for diverse representation in the industry.
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 Speakers

UGOCHUKWU CHUKWUJIAKA
FOUNDER
ENERGY TALENT COMPANY

PANELLIST :
Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and
Investment Panel

Ugochukwu Chukwujiaka is a Business Executive dedicated to nation-building

through scalable education solutions. As the Founder and CEO of Energy Talent
Company (ETC), he leads an initiative to recruit, train, and place top solar talents in
Africa, starting with Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. Ugo's career spans education,
technology, and social impact. Previously, he was a Design Manager Consultant at
Generation, where he developed a curriculum to connect unemployed youths in the
UK with employers, including Hilton Hotels. He also worked with Andela, helping to
expand their mission to train Africa's top software developers. Since ETC's inception,
the company has trained over 3,000 talents, contributing to over 50 MW of electricity
across the region.

KEET VAN ZYL

CO-FOUNDER
KNIFE CAPITAL VENTURES

PANELLIST :
Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and
Investment Panel

Keet has over 20 years of investment experience in private equity, banking and
venture capital. He co-founded Knife Capital in 2010 to scale African high-growth
businesses globally and worked at industry-leading companies such as Procter &
Gamble, Investec Bank and ‘Here Be Dragons’ (HBD) Venture Capital. Keet is
passionate about building the early-stage funding ecosystem in Africa.

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 Speakers

KOYA MATSUNO
COO & CO- FOUNDER
VUNAPAY

PANELLIST :
Fintech Sparks Green Finance: Bridging Policy and
Investment Panel

Koya Matsuno, Co-Founder and COO at VunaPay, is focused on improving financial

access in agriculture, particularly ensuring fair payments to smallholder farmers. He
began his career as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan, gaining strong financial
experience. His passion for financial inclusion developed during his time at UCLA,
where he worked on microfinance projects in Central America and Ghana. At Cookpad,
he expanded his skills in data analytics and product development, contributing to
international market growth. Later, in Nairobi, he led a crowdfunding platform for off-
grid solar panels. Now, Koya applies his diverse experience to advancing VunaPay's
mission.

VICTOR NDIEGE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
KENYA CLIMATE VENTURES

MODERATOR :
Green Tech Funding: Bridging Innovation and
Impact Panel

Victor Ndiege has 20 years of experience in investments and investment linkages,

design, development and management, fundraising, fund management, business
modeling and assessments, and public-private partnerships. Prior to joining Kenya
Climate Ventures, Victor worked at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, KPMG -
International Development Advisory Services, providing technical sector expertise,
leading investment and portfolio management, enterprise development, and impact
monitoring and reporting of renewable energy businesses and climate-smart solutions
in Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa and Asia. Victor holds a BSc. in Agricultural
Economics from Egerton University and an MBA in Strategic Management from Nairobi
University. Victor is a member of the Cleantech Group - 50 to Watch Expert Panel, the
Investment Committee of West Africa Brighter Future Fund, and various Boards.

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 Speakers

FARES SEAIDI
ADVISOR
SCALING DIGITAL AGRICULTURE INNOVATIONS
THROUGH START-UPS (SAIS)
GIZ

PANELLIST:
Green Tech Funding: Bridging Innovation and
Impact Panel

Fares Seaidi is an Advisor for Partnerships and Investor Relations at SAIS, focusing
on enhancing investor readiness of African startups and fostering responsible
connections with investors. He advocates for technology's role in driving economic
growth, food security, and income opportunities in Africa, with extensive
experience in the African startup ecosystem collaborating with VC funds,
incubators, and startup communities.

JACKLYNE IMINZA-ANYAMBA
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
EAST AFRICA PRIVATE EQUITY &
VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION (EAVCA)

PANELLIST :
Green Tech Funding: Bridging Innovation and
Impact

Jacklyn Iminza-Anyamba is the Chief Operating Officer of the East Africa Private
Equity and Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), where she leads the strategic and
operational efforts for the organization. EAVCA represents over 100 private capital
investors and partners in East Africa. Jacklyn specializes in human and capital
mobilization, playing a key role in fostering partnerships and driving significant
investments into the region. Her work has been crucial in contributing to East
Africa's economic growth. Passionate about using private capital to create positive
social and economic impact, she is committed to leveraging the opportunities and
addressing the challenges in the region.

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 Speakers

NICK QUINTONG
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER & PORTFOLIO
DIRECTOR
DELTA40 VENTURE STUDIO

PANELLIST :
Green Tech Funding: Bridging Innovation and
Impact

Nick was formerly co-founder and CEO of PayGo Energy, a clean tech / clean
cooking company based in Nairobi, Kenya. PayGo developed an innovative
hardware solution to tap into the mass market potential for liquified petroleum gas
(LPG) in Africa. Nick led PayGo from its inception to an acquisition by Sun King,
largest off-grid solar company in Africa. Prior to co-founding PayGo, Nick was a
Kiva Fellow in Nairobi and held various commercial roles at General Electric.
Currently, Nick is Chief Commercial Officer and a Portfolio Director at Delta40 an
early stage VC fund and venture studio.

DAVID LONGDON
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
EQUATOR VC

MODERATOR FOR ‘Future Farming: Integrating

Climate-Resilient Crops with Smart Technology’

David is a Senior Associate at Equator VC, a Pan-African climate focused venture

capital firm based in Nairobi, Kenya. David brings over a decade of experience in
finance and prior to Equator, held various roles at Barclays, including Vice President
within Capital Markets. He sits on the Board of Trustees for a U.S. liberal arts
college, and in this role, serves on their Investment Committee with a $450m+
endowment invested across multiple asset classes, including public and private
equities. He is an angel investor and advisor to several African startups and recently
served as a growth manager with a Nairobi-based seed-stage startup. David holds a
B.A. in Economics and French from Bates College and an MBA from Harvard
Business School.

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 Speakers

MARTHA HAILE
FOUNDER
ABZE

PANELLIST :
Future Farming: Integrating Climate-Resilient
Crops with Smart Technology

Martha Haile, an entrepreneur with a background in agricultural technology, has

held key leadership positions in leading agtech startups. For the last decade, she
has resided in Kenya and Nigeria, working extensively across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recently, she founded Abze, a digital media company focused on showcasing the
narratives, innovations, and pioneers revolutionizing Africa's food industry. Martha,
also a co-founder of Hello Tractor and former Vice President of Business
Development at Wefarm, is dedicated to utilizing technology to empower small-
scale farmers and develop sustainable solutions in the food and agriculture sector.
Proudly Eritrean-American, Martha resides in Nairobi with her husband and two
daughters.

DAMILOLA THOMPSON
CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER
DILIGENCE AFRICA

JUDGE & PANELLIST IN ‘Future Farming:

Integrating Climate-Resilient Crops with Smart
Technology’

Damilola Thompson is an investment professional with over 14 years of experience

investing, building, and executing strategies for VC funds and tech companies
across global markets as a venture capital investor, entrepreneur, and operator. Her
core competencies are in driving venture investments, due diligence & compliance
solutions, developing and implementing strategic growth & market entry plans, and
corporate development for tech and tech-enabled companies. She is the Managing
Partner of DiligenceAfrica.co, a platform that provides due diligence services to
investors investing in African and Africa-focused opportunities and provides startup
advisory services to founders building for or expanding to the African continent
through the Fractional CFO Services and Governance and Compliance Services.
Dami is passionate about entrepreneurship and, loves to support and train
entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.

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 Speakers

PHILIP ODINO
MANAGING PARTNER
PEPEA CAPITAL

PANELLIST :
Future Farming: Integrating Climate-Resilient
Crops with Smart Technology

Philip Odino is a Resource Mobilization Expert and Organisational Strategy

Technical Advisor with extensive experience in supporting entrepreneurial
ecosystems in Africa. He is the Managing Partner at Pepea Capital, a fintech
company focused on providing digital finance solutions to smallholder farmers.
Through its platform, Pepea Capital offers affordable credit, insurance, and digital
payment services, promoting financial inclusion and climate-smart agriculture.
Philip has worked with a variety of organizations, including DFIs, NGOs, and
development partners, and has a background in strategy development, capital
raising, and SME ecosystem development. He holds an M.Sc. in Design for
Sustainable Development from Chalmers University, Sweden, and has collaborated
with organizations like GIZ, UNICEF, and the World Bank throughout his career.

HANGYUL LEE-SONG
DATA LEAD
BRITER BRIDGES

PANELLIST :
Future Farming: Integrating Climate-Resilient
Crops with Smart Technology

Hangyul Lee-Song leads the data development of AgBase, which is the agtech arm
of Briter Bridges, managing the collection of agtech ecosystem data across Africa.
Hangyul and her team translates the collected data into digestible research and
advisory pieces for a diverse range of partners ranging from VC companies,
foundations, research institutions and international organisations.

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 Speakers

EVA WAWERU
SENIOR ASSOCIATE, COMMUNICATIONS - EMEAA
VILLAGE CAPITAL

MODERATOR :
The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling
Sustainable Solutions

Eva Waweru is a Senior Associate for Communications at Village Capital, where she
leads the organization's communications and brand-building efforts across Europe,
the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

FLORENT NDUWAYEZ
CLIMATEHACK NAIROBI AMBASSADOR
HACKGROUP

JUDGE & PANELLIST :

The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling
Sustainable Solutions

Florent Nduwayezu has been deeply involved in the African tech ecosystem,
serving in various capacities from CFO of startups to managing early-stage and
growth-stage investments. He has also explored innovative financing models such
as venture debt and milestones based financing across both East and West Africa.
Over the past few years, his focus has been on early-stage climate tech
investments, driving innovation and sustainability within the sector.

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 Speakers

ELIZABETH ODIMA
BUSINESS ANALYST
KENYA CLIMATE INNOVATION CENTER

PANELLIST :
The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling
Sustainable Solutions

Elizabeth Odima is a dynamic Business Analyst, currently working with the Kenya
Climate Innovation Center (KCIC), where she supports waste management
enterprises in scaling up and sustaining their businesses. With her extensive
experience in driving growth, and securing financing for enterprises in the climate
and circular economy sectors, she specializes in project management, disability
inclusion, and empowering underrepresented groups, including youth, women, and
persons with disabilities, through entrepreneurship, climate change education, and
livelihood initiatives. Her expertise spans business formation, operations, finance,
and management, along with project planning, setup, and monitoring and
evaluation. As an effective communicator and motivator, Elizabeth leverages
available assets and resources to achieve strategic goals and foster sustainable
development.

THOMAS BONGANI HART

PROGRAM MANAGER
FRENCH SOUTH AFRICAN TECH LABS

PANELLIST :
The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling
Sustainable Solutions

Thomas Hart is a green economy and communications specialist with 13 years of

experience working across Africa. He has led health campaigns, business
development programs, and eco-tourism research. Thomas focuses on green and
circular economy design, collaborating with companies like SAB-Miller and Unilever.
He currently manages programs at the French South African Tech Labs, an early
stage business incubator helping digital startup founders move from concept to
customer.
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 Speakers

ALVIN ANDERSON
COUNTRY DIRECTOR
BORDA South Africa

PANELLIST :
The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling Sustainable
Solutions

Alvin Anderson is the Country Director for BORDA South Africa, an international
non-profit specializing in decentralized sanitation solutions. Based in Durban, South
Africa, he oversees operations, strategic oversight, and project management in
South Africa while also managing project finance and donor-related funds across
the Africa region. BORDA, with its headquarters in Germany, operates in five other
African countries: Tanzania, Mali, Zambia, Senegal, and Mauritania. Alvin originally
joined BORDA in 2020 as the Regional Finance Project Manager, a role he
continues to fullfill. He has over 10 years of experience in the social enterprise and
development sector and holds a Bachelor of Technology in Public Management &
Economics from Durban University of Technology.

VERE SHABA
CO-FOUNDER
DECARBONISE AFRICA

MODERATOR :
Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment
Ecosystem

Vere Shaba is the co-founder of Decarbonise Africa, a company that advises listed
and non-listed companies across all sectors with a footprint across Africa to
mitigate the impacts of climate change through on-the-ground climate and data
analytics, accelerators and venture building for Seed to Series A dilutive and
nondilutive funding and investments. Vere holds a BSc in Engineering from the
University of Cape Town and a MSc in Climate Change and Development from
SOAS University of London.

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 Speakers

CHRISTINE MBAABU
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
MICROSOFT

PANELLIST :
Funding the Future: Building a Resilient
Investment Ecosystem

Christine Mbaabu is dedicated to guiding businesses on their journey toward

sustainable success by focusing on people, planet, and profit. With over 10 years of
specialized experience in program management, enterprise support and
investments, SME advisory and mentorship, and innovative climate financing,
Christine is committed to making a positive impact on the world.

VLADIMIR DUGIN
SENIOR PARTNER
E3 CAPITAL

PANELLIST :
Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment
Ecosystem

Vladimir is a Senior Partner at E3 Capital. He has 17+ years of experience in

investment banking and private equity in emerging markets. Vladimir is passionate
about driving disruptive innovation across the emerging world and effecting
positive impact across industries and economies. After spending a few months in
East Africa in 2017, he decided to follow this passion and move to Nairobi to focus
on low carbon investments across the African continent. He is a Board Member of
Untapped Global, Solarise Africa, SolarX Africa and ZiZ Energie. Vladimir holds an
MBA from INSEAD.

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 Speakers

NAMARA
PARTNER | AFRICA SEED FUND
FLAT6LABS

JUDGE & Panellist:

Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment
Ecosystem

Namara has over 12 years of experience in the African tech ecosystem, having held
roles in high-growth startups specializing in B2B sales, people management, and
technical product management. As the former Head of Ventures at a leading
African accelerator, she redesigned the program and managed investments in 25
startups over two years. Currently, she is a Partner at Flat6Labs’s Africa Seed Fund,
an $85 million fund aimed at supporting early to seed-stage startups across North,
East, and West Africa. Namara is committed to driving transformative change and
helping Africa reach its full potential through innovative programs and capital
investments.

MAXIME BOUAN
GENERAL PARTNER
SEEDSTARS AFRICA VENTURES

PANELLIST :
Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment
Ecosystem

Maxime Bouan is a seasoned investor in the African landscape, investing for nearly
15 years in the region across banking, fintech, education, energy, and agriculture.
After managing BlueOrchard Finance’s African strategy for 8 years, he is co-
founding Partner at Seedstars Africa Ventures and Investment committee member
of the Africa Entreprise Challenge Fund.

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 Speakers

TOWETT NGETICH
INVESTMENT AND FINANCE PROFESSIONAL
54 COLLECTIVE VC

PANELLIST :
Funding the Future: Building a Resilient Investment
Ecosystem

Towett is an investment and finance professional. He serves on the 54 Collective

Investments portfolio team, investing, supporting, building value, and realising exits
across Africa’s most extensive portfolio of 78+ businesses and founders. He has led
investments and exits in early—and growth-stage—African companies in climate,
agriculture, finance, and healthcare, among other industries. He has a keen interest
in finance, its investment instruments, and how new financial structures can
optimise portfolio value while being of service to founders. He aligns his investment
prospects with SDG, climate, and ESG/responsible investment goals.

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 Judges

NIKUNJ SHAH
DIRECTOR
SELECT GLOBAL SOLUTIONS

JUDGE

Nikunj Shah, founder of Select Global Solutions, helps international companies build
human capital in Africa, Middle East, India, and other emerging markets. With 25+
years of experience in manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and talent development, he
drives business growth through strategic talent acquisition, leadership
development, and technology transformation. Nikunj is an active angel investor with
over 30 investments across Asia, Africa and Europe and he advises early stage
ventures as they scale.

THEA SOKOLOWKSI
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
STITCH

JUDGE

Thea Sokolowski is the Head of Marketing and Communications at Stitch, a leading

fintech company focused on building seamless payment and financial infrastructure
across Africa. With a strong background in scaling marketing efforts for tech and
financial startups, Thea is dedicated to driving growth and expanding Stitch's
impact in the fintech landscape. She is passionate about leveraging technology to
increase financial access and innovation in emerging markets.

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 Judges

ANDREW DARGE
INVESTMENT MANAGER
E3 CAPITAL

JUDGE

Andrew Darge is an Investment Manager at E3 Capital where he is responsible for

deal origination and screening, through to execution and portfolio management.
Throughout his career, he has advised and executed on transactions in numerous
countries in Africa, as well as further afield in emerging markets such as India,
Colombia and Indonesia. His experience covers several sectors including foods &
agribusiness, fin-tech, logistics, digital infrastructure and energy & climate. Andrew
is a qualified CA(SA) and CFA Charterholder.

JOCELYN NYAGUSE
HEAD OF MARKETING
STARTUPBOOTCAMP AFRITECH

JUDGE

Jocelyn Nyaguse has a passion for Storytelling and Business Development which
has resulted in her working with incredible companies that include Impact Hub and
Startupbootcamp AfriTech where she is currently the Head of Marketing and
Storytelling. She is a renowned pitch coach and startup enthusiast with a particular
leaning toward Social Innovation, Impact, and Entrepreneurship.

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 Judges

DELILA KIDANU
COO
OKOA RESCUE

JUDGE

Delila Kidanu is the co-founder and COO of OKOA Rescue, which provides
emergency and relief services across East Africa by building a network of skilled
mechanics and service providers. She holds an MSc in Innovation Management and
Entrepreneurship from KTH in Stockholm. Delila's previous roles include managing
external relations at ThinkYoung and working in Business Development and
Partnerships at MEST Africa, where she focused on supporting African tech
startups.

LUCA ZIMMERMANN
STARTUP ADVISOR
GIZ

JUDGE

Luca Zimmermann is part of the GIZ-SAIS project which supports African AgTech
start-ups thorugh their annual Investment Readiness Program.

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 Judges

MICHELLE HEAH
STARTUP ADVISOR & TECH STRATEGY
GREEN INTELLIGENCE

JUDGE

Michelle Heah, a Startup Advisor and Tech Strategist at Green Intelligence started
her career in African Exits in London, and since then, she has accumulated
perspectives from a variety of sectors and roles, ranging from investment banker,
investor, venture builder, operator and advisor. Her journey provided her with
clarity on her long-term goal of investing in ventures within the pan-African early-
stage ecosystem to drive economic growth. She is currently part of the African
Angel Academy’s latest cohort of angel investors and part of the structuring team
of a Swiss-headquartered company in the climate space, candi.solar, with
operations across South Africa and India. A firm believer in education as a tool for
empowerment and in the long-term growth potential of the African continent, she
is passionate about addressing real world challenges in Africa and other emerging
economies through innovative technology solutions for scale and efficiency.

NICK VILELLE
FOUNDING MEMBER
NAIROBI BUSINESS ANGEL NETWORK

JUDGE

Nick Vilelle is an entrepreneur and investor. He has spent the past 20 years
supporting entrepreneurs across the African continent. Through this experience, he
has had the opportunity to work with and advise hundreds of startups. In addition
to supporting other entrepreneurs, he has founded three social enterprises and four
companies of his own. Nick is based in Nairobi and founded the Nairobi Business
Angel Network (NaiBAN). This Kenyan angel group has quickly grown to 150
members and has made 29 investments in its first 3 years of operations.

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 STARTUPS

Pitch Challenge: Clean Tech

Knights and Apps

Sector: E-mobility

Monsapo
Sector: Clean Tech

Carbon Zero Mobility

Sector: E-mobility

Beyond Captur
Sector: Carbon Capture and Energy

Ecolinks
Sector: Clean Tech

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 STARTUPS

Pitch Challenge: Climate Tech

Solarinno
Sector: Water Purification & Energy

eAgro Pvt Ltd

Sector: Agritech

RHEA Soil Health

Sector: Agritech

TCRK Energy
Sector: Carbon Capture & Energy

BlueGold
Sector: Nanotechnology & Clean Energy

Bottle Logistics
Sector: Circular Economy

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 STARTUPS

Pitch Challenge: AgriTech

Thanks Carbon
Sector: Agritech/Carbon Monitoring

Stable Foods
Sector: Agritech

Maua Mazuri
Sector: Agritech/Plant Biotechnology

Gene Plus Global

Sector: Agritech

iShamba Limited
Sector: Agritech

Aquarech
Sector: Agritech

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 STARTUPS

Pitch Challenge: Circular Economy

Kaloola
Sector: Waste

Organic Kenya Limited

Sector: Waste & Agriculture

African Collective Textiles

Sector: Circular Economy

Green Pencils
Sector: Circular Economy

Gjenge
Sector: Circular Economy

Organic Fields
Sector: Waste & Agriculture

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 Summit
Team Contacts

EVENT DIRECTOR
Christophe Viarnaud
christophe@africarena.com | +27 83 254 8867 | +33 68 626 4267

OPERATIONS, PROJECT & PROGRAM MANAGER

Nafisah Abrahams
nafisah@africarena.com | +27 74 730 6780

PRODUCT & STARTUP LEAD

Dan Mabbyalas
dan@africarena.com | +27 69 746 4826

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

Jabulile Ngwenya
jngwenya@methys.com | +27 76 890 8956

STARTUP SOURCING ANALYST

Aliou Diallo
aliou@africarena.co.za | +33 64 687 0856

PROGRAM MANAGER
Thomas Hart
thomas@fsatlabs.co.za | +27 76 688 6719

SOCIAL MEDIA & AMPLIFICATION LEAD

Botlhale Seremo
botlhale@africarena.com |+27 84 917 0206
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