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Facebook to support African innovation at TechCrunch Startup

Ime Archibong, Facebooks vice-president of partnerships from 2017 TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa. (Image source: Facebook)

In line with its commitment to growing Africa’s technology start-up ecosystem and its passion for developing diverse, young talent, Facebook will return as the headline sponsor of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018

The event, which will take place from 6 - 11 December in Lagos, Nigeria, will seek out the best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs from sub-Saharan Africa.

Emeka Afigbo, Facebook's head of Developer Programmes, said, “Following the great success of the inaugural TechCrunch Startup Battlefield event in 2017, we are delighted to return as the headline sponsor for this year’s event.”

“Given our passion for connecting people and helping developers and entrepreneurs to thrive, we can’t wait to see how this year’s entrants are using technology to engage and empower people across the continent,” he added.

The event will see start-ups compete across three categories: social good; productivity and utility; and gaming and entertainment.

It profiles the founders and entrepreneurs leading Africa’s next wave of technology innovation and highlights new ideas, businesses and applications with disruptive potential, the company said in a statement.

On 11 December, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield supported by Facebook will bring together the strongest start-ups from across sub-Saharan Africa, where they will pitch to a live audience of 500 people ranging from VCs, investors, government officials and developers.

Facebook representatives from Africa and beyond will be on the ground to celebrate, where they will be connecting, listening and learning from various communities as well as taking part in a series of workshops, networking sessions and talks, the company added.

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