General Criteria

  • The startup must be a maximum of 5 years in age – calculated from establishment date until public nominations open (with exception of the Best Newcomer category and the Best Venture Capitalist category).
  • The startup must have been founded and must currently be located in the country participating in the competition.
  • The startup must have a minimum viable product (MVP) and/or service in the market.
  • The startup must be generating monthly recurring revenue.
  • The startup must have a team of two or more people.
  • The startup must be African-led, meaning that it must have at least one founder or co-founder on the team who is from Africa and resides on the continent.
  • All applications must be submitted in English, and all decks/pitches must be in English too.
  • No applicant may reach out to judges/jury members in advance of the competition process advocating for their startup. Anyone who does so will be disqualified. If you have any conflicts of interest, please reach out to the GSA Africa team prior to submitting your application.
  • GSA Africa reserves the right to select and reject applicants at any time.