The annual Startup Uganda Awards, that recognize the most innovative startups, are back when Kampala hosts the Uganda Innovation Week this November.
Nominations for the best startups in health, education, creative industries, technology, agriculture, the best university innovation, and the leading support enterprises are officially open.
This as the annual Kampala Innovation Week rebrands to Uganda Innovation Week (UIW) with an aim to expand the focus on the innovation landscape to the entire country.
This year’s innovation week is scheduled to run from November 22 to 24 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala under the theme Uganda’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Unlocking the Missing Links.
The event has now scaled up to include participation from across the country.
This innovation event is geared towards bringing together all actors within the startup ecosystem this year promises more inclusivity, a wider reach, and a general country-wide movement.
“The country’s innovation landscape stretches far beyond just the city of Kampala, and we thought it was high-time the innovation week actively recognized that,” says Jean K. Makki, Vice Chairperson, Startup Uganda.
“We are looking to get startup ecosystem stakeholders from all across the country involved in the crucial discussions we will be having at Uganda Innovation Week, and this move towards inclusivity will assist with that agenda.”
The re-brand to UIW represents an active effort to include startup ecosystem stakeholders from across the country in conversations on the future of entrepreneurship in Uganda.
The context for such discussions will improve to include factors specific to entrepreneurs in some of the more rural areas, such as internet connectivity, access to infrastructure and more.
As implied by the 2022 theme, despite the growth of the startup ecosystem in Uganda, there are still several gaps to bridge in order to augment the development of viable, market-ready enterprises and the ability of relevant stakeholders to support said enterprises adequately.
The three-day event will identify some of these missing links and facilitate conversations on possible ways to eradicate these issues.
One track will focus on links between academia and industry and highlight how a strong connection between the two has enabled startup ecosystems worldwide to thrive and progress.
Another track will highlight some of the current gaps in women’s entrepreneurship, such as the fact that despite recent statistics highlighting women as the larger percentage of entrepreneurs in the country, the number of women-owned businesses that scale up or attract funding remains significantly low.
The final track will explore the missing links in investment and financing for entrepreneurs.
To deliver this year’s edition, Start Up Uganda has partnered with The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Other partners include The International Trade Center (ITC) and Village Capital.
The event will feature panel discussions, workshops and masterclasses where startup ecosystem stakeholders can contribute to theme conversations and evening fireside events that will allow for peer engagement, partnership formation and networking.
The best and brightest in the Ugandan startup space will also feature, with a dedicated exhibition space running on all three event days.
The event agenda will also include report and program launches all geared towards identifying and providing solutions to the missing links within Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In the spirit of reaching entrepreneurs outside of the capital city, Startup Uganda is running a video challenge, #iInnovateBecause, that will allow shortlisted entrepreneurs from across the country to attend the event in person and engage with different thought leaders, mentors, and fellow entrepreneurs.
