President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, November 8 joined a gathering of Africa-focused leading investors, startups, and industry players, for the official opening of the Norrsken Africa Week, a ceremony that seeks to, among others, mull fast-tracking Africa's growing tech and startup ecosystem.
Hosted at the Norrsken House Kigali, the two-day event will focus on what opportunities are there for investors and startups on the continent, organizers said.
The Norrsken Africa Week will also double as the official launch of the Norrsken Kigali House.
The event will also see several high-profile investors sharing their experiences including Nonkululeko Nyembezi, Chairman at the Standard Bank Group, Niklas Adalberth, Founder of Norrsken, Hannah Subyai Kamuanga, Partner at Lauch Africa Ventures.
Also expected to share remarks is celebrated musician and investor Mr Eazi, Angela Homsi, Chief Executive and Founder of Angaza Capital, Moses Mukundi, Founder of Eden care, among others.
The event comes at a time when Africa is the world's fastest-growing economic powerhouse.
By 2030, over 1 billion new African internet users are expected to come online, estimates show.
The African startup ecosystem raised more than $6.5 billion in 2022, up more than 8 percent compared to 2021. This is in spite of a global Venture Capital downturn.
Fintech attracted the Lion's share of funding. 205 African fintech startups, 11.4 percent more than in 2021, raised a total of $1.5 billion during 2022.
Women-founded startups raised 22 percent of all equity rounds in Africa in 2022, up 2 percent from 2021.