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#StartupSouth4: Startup Leaders, Investors & Government Officials Gather In Owerri

| June 25, 2018

On November 2nd, 2018, the capital city of Imo State, Owerri, will be playing host to the 4th edition of the biggest startup and entrepreneurship conference in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Since its inception, StartupSouth has been the convener of the brightest startup founders, key-playing entrepreneurs, early-stage investors, policy-making personnel and incubators in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria, giving them a convivial environment to strike relevant connections, learn from each other and most essentially, giving founders in the regions to ways to secure investments. The conference serves as a platform for the startups in both regions to be showcased, wherein their potentials are also promoted to lure potential investors. The participants at the 2018 edition of this program will have the opportunity to tour the hippy city of Owerri and enjoy a boat ride across the preeminent, peerless Oguta Lake.

Sequel to the last edition of StartupSouth held in Aba, a duo of startups teamed up to raise USD 40 K, another duo doing the same for a follow-on seed of over USD 20 K. A sum of USD 350 K has been cumulatively given to the alumni of the conference and several more startups are still at their different footings of negotiating deals.

As an objective, StartupSouth is committed to educating, connecting and attracting investments to startups and founders around the regions. With the theme “Nichely, Strongly, Global,” this year’s edition will be an exploration of how cities in these regions can go niche, vamping up their strengths to favorably compete in an interconnected, globalized business world. This fourth edition will provide a second-to-none opportunity for startups to network with investors, strategic partners, most significant incubators/accelerators, and expert service platforms within and across the regions. Fireside chats with painstakingly selected successful startup founders, policy makers and investors from across the planet will be featured. The program will also include pitch sessions, third-party content/panel programming, networking and a post-conference party that will snowball with the much-awaited boat ride.

The regular pre-conferences now called #Foretaste, which are a pre-event/tour of ten different cities within the region, is scheduled to kick-off on July 20, 2018, in Port Harcourt city, Rivers State. #StartupSouth4 #Foretaste enlists a set of exciting activities leading up to the main event featuring business town hall meetings, panel sessions, interviews, product presentation by partners, gifts and several more.

Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Director General-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Dikko Radda, governors, South-South and South-East government representatives, corporation heads and the organized private sectors will be guests present at the event.

Other leaders who will be present are:

Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, Regional Director, West Africa, Ford Foundation.

Mr. Collins Onuegbu, Vice-Chairman, Signal Alliance & Director, Lagos Angel Network.

Jason Njoku, Founder IROKOtv, Bosun Tijani, Co-Founder, CCHub.