Innova’s Post

We are talking about #geodesign at Berlin next week in the "Re-imagining smart cities in Western Europe" session . Join us if you can!

📣 Did you know we’re building the first-ever EU-LAC Investor Community? This platform is dedicated to fostering cross-regional #investments between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), driving innovation and economic growth through strategic collaboration. ❓ What is the mission of the Investor Community ❓ 💡 Cross-Regional Investments: promoting investment between Europe and LATAM, unlocking opportunities and strengthening economic ties. 🌱 #DigitalInnovation: supporting sectors like fintech, cleantech, agritech, and healthtech to address global challenges. 🤝 #StrategicPartnerships: connecting investors, entrepreneurs, and institutions to create impactful collaborations. 🎯 Comprehensive Support: #mentorship, resources, and #networking to accelerate growth and success. 🌍 #CulturalUnderstanding: enhancing cross-regional #businessstrategies by fostering a deep understanding of cultural nuances. Don’t miss our next #webinar on October 10th at 17:00 CET on investment opportunities in the CELAC region: https://lnkd.in/drcETwBg & join our Slack community: https://lnkd.in/d-g_Wwnh

Thrilled to announce that I’ll be speaking at the Global Innovation Forum (GIF) hosted by International Telecommunication Union and Malta Digital Innovation Authority! I’m honored to participate in the panel discussion, "Unlocking The Youth Dividend Through Entrepreneurship And Innovation." 🌍✨ Developing countries have a youthful population that represents immense potential, but for these economic advantages to be fully realized, it’s crucial to invest in education, health, and employment opportunities. During this session, we will explore key questions such as: - What is youth resilience, and why are entrepreneurship and innovation vital for unlocking this demographic dividend? - How can we accelerate the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems that empower youth? - What experiments and initiatives can we learn from? Join us as we discuss how to foster innovation and provide the tools and support that young entrepreneurs need to thrive. 📅 Event details: https://lnkd.in/edzV3kiF #GlobalInnovationForum #DigitalInnovation #Innovation4Digital

Meet the Innovator: Rebecca King Rebecca King, founding Partner and Advisor of Innovate Africa Foundation, shares what fuels her passion for innovation and Innovate Africa's interest in solving problems on the African continent. Innovate Africa establishes ventures in Africa to solve complex problems with purpose-driven technology. In this interview, Rebecca highlights the importance of networking. "We have a particular interest in solving the big problems. We take massive problems no one thinks they can overcome and find the people trying to solve and empower them. We empower them through investments, training, mentorship, and resource connections. The bigger the problem the more interested we are." #innovation #global #africa #venturecapital #tech #technology #thefuturelist

Africa's Tech Revolution is here! The continent boasts the world's fastest-growing mobile market and a young, tech-savvy population. This is a goldmine for investors seeking high-growth potential. At the EPF Tech Fund, we're capitalising on this opportunity by investing in scalable tech solutions tackling Africa's biggest challenges. We focus on: - Youth-led innovation by talented African entrepreneurs. - AI-powered solutions for transformative change. Intrigued by Africa's tech potential? Let's connect info@epftechfund.org | www.epftechfund.org #Africa #TechInvestment #SocialImpact #VentureCapital #EPFTechFund

🌐 What We're Reading: Digital Opportunities in African Businesses by the IFC - International Finance Corporation Digitalization opens significant investment opportunities for African firms and their global partners. As digital technologies are adopted at an accelerating pace, African businesses stand to become more productive, profitable, and integrated into value chains worldwide. However, to fully harness these opportunities, an estimated $21-32B investment in middle- and last-mile digital infrastructure is needed to improve access to high-speed internet by 2027. We're proud to advise digital infrastructure companies, such as Zoodlabs SL in Sierra Leone, that are leading this charge. Stay updated on how we're advancing Africa’s digital future—follow us here! #DigitalAfrica #InvestInAfrica #EconomicOpportunity

Yannick Djoumessi et al, highlights digital opportunities in African businesses in their latest work. They further identify challenges and provides practical recommendations for policymakers, international organizations, and the private sector in this article. Their goal is to facilitate strategies that reduce expenses and enhance digital engagement, stressing concerns that are key to unleashing the vast potential for productivity gains and economic progress in Africa. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ec3JgfHc #Africa #DigitalBusiness #innovation #digital #productivity

The digital landscape in Africa presents a paradox. Despite widespread adoption of basic digital tools, such as mobile phones, computers and the internet, only a fraction use these technologies for critical business functions like marketing, sales, and operations. New research by IFC - International Finance Corporation reveals that merely 24% of these African firms utilize these impactful digital tools. The underutilization of digital technologies, however, is not just a matter of connectivity; it encompasses a broader spectrum of challenges in digital literacy, financing for technology upgrades, and regulatory frameworks. For instance, high costs and scarcity of high-skill digital workers further inhibit the adoption of these technologies, with digital worker costs being 2.2 times higher in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to the United States, relative to average income. The implications of these findings are important. Businesses that embrace comprehensive digitalization report significantly higher productivity, with digital technology explaining up to one-third of the productivity disparities among firms. The benefits of digital integration cannot be understated, but understanding the barriers to access is essential to expand market reach and adapt technologies to ensure equitable inclusive access to the tools that unlock the full potential of African businesses in the digital age. To learn more about digital opportunities for African businesses, read IFC’s new report:

How to enable #enterprises in #Africa make greater use of #digitaltechnologies is discussed in an audio story that unpacks IFC - International Finance Corporation newly published book, Digital Opportunities in African Businesses. On a recent mission to #Nigeria, Managing Director Makhtar Diop further explored opportunities for #development in this ‘#GiantofAfrica.’ As Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, said: "#Africa is a #destination for #growth and #prosperity."   https://lnkd.in/ei3SSq7m

I just learned an interesting new term: incomplete digitization. Coined by researchers at the IFC - International Finance Corporation, it refers to the underutilization of digital technologies by African businesses. A report called “Digital Opportunities in African Businesses” indicates that 86% of companies with 5 or more workers have access to digital enablers (mobile phones, computers, internet). But only 23% are digitally enabled, and they don’t use it for productive tasks (business administration, planning, sales, payments). Of those that do, 39% are not utilizing it intensively. So most businesses are doing things manually. That may not be surprising for a continent where half the population (about 600 million) lacks access to electricity or 4G mobile coverage.  But there’s something else: Africans pay MORE for digital devices and connectivity than consumers in any other region. #digitization #africa #africanbusiness #smallbusiness #efour Read more about the issues –and the opportunities—at https://lnkd.in/enpwB78A