The Nairobi Innovation Week is an annual event convened by the University of Nairobi. It is held within the university grounds at the main campus off University Way. The inaugural event was held in August 2015 with 2 more events in the following years. NIW 2018 will the 4th event since inception. The event has grown over the years registering over 4000 delegates in 2017 up from 700 delegates in 2015. This year’s theme is dubbed “INNOVATING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW”.
The Nairobi Innovation Week organizing committee is pleased to announce that their biggest event so far will be happening in March 2018. Once admitted to the NIW.Startups you stand a chance of being in the 100 pitches at the event. Unlike previous years the start-up’s agenda will be the mainstream focus of the 2018 edition. We have therefore partnered with various start-up enablers within the ecosystem. NIW2017 had about 2 start-up enablers, iBizAfrica, and Metta. This year we are partnering with up to 30 start-up enablers in the region. Start-ups are encouraged to apply by visiting http://startups.niw.co.ke for a chance to be admitted at NIW.Startups program.
With key startup ecosystem players taking part in this year’s event, it is widely believed that this could be the chance most start-ups have been waiting for to get maximum exposure. Some of our partners include; Unicef, Villgro Kenya, Swahili pot Hub, iHub, Metta, iBiz Africa, Viktoria Ventures, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland among others.
“We are delighted to share our collaborative platform with serious players in the regional and international startup ecosystem. We are hopeful that NIW. A startup is a springboard for increased collaboration among the many organizations involved,” said Dr. Tonny Omwansa who is the chairperson of the Nairobi Innovation Week Planning Committee. He went on further indicating that these partnerships will truly have a lasting impact on future generations in the ecosystem.
iBizAfrica was instrumental during the 2017 event. Bernard Chiira, the incubator manager at the accelerator has seen the value in such partnerships first hand. “IBizAfrica and Strathmore University have been an active participant in the Nairobi Innovation Week for the past two editions. I have witnessed Nairobi Innovation Week grow to become one of Kenya’s fastest growing platforms for start-up support and funding, showcasing Kenya’s most innovative start-ups and driving collaboration and growth of the Start-up Ecosystem in Kenya.
This year I expect NIW to attract Kenya’s most innovative start-ups yet at all levels from seed to scale-ups! I am very optimistic that NIW will leave a mark as the go to a conference for start-ups, investors, and innovators in Africa,” he continued.
Deadline for Application is 31st January.
