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Starting TechCrunch Battlefield returns to Africa next month and we have a program packed with interesting panels and our first startup competition.
Unique to us in Lagos, Nigeria, December 11 for a couple of those panels above will be Chris Folayan, founder and CEO of Mall for Africa; Nichole Yembra, chief financial officer, risk and investment officer for Venture Garden Group (VGG) and managing partner of GreenHouse Capital; and Olaoluwa Samuel-Biyi, partner of Hacked Capital.
Chris Folayan, a native of Nigeria, graduated from California State University, San Jose, and founded and sold several companies globally. It has also created new companies in Africa, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. Mall for Africa is an e-commerce infrastructure company that operates in the global economy and allows Africans to purchase items directly from international online retailers in the United States and Europe, as well as local online retailers in Africa.
In VGG, Nichole Yembra is responsible for investor relations and the financial strategy of the seven technology companies under his umbrella, as they serve public and private clients in the aviation, energy, and 39; education, financial services and social investments. Through GreenHouse Capital, Nichole employs fintech-enabled portfolio companies that want to transform education, renewable energy, big data and fintech ecosystems.
Nichole Yembra
The products of the companies in the portfolio have linked more than 3,000 students to tutors, have revolutionized off-grid solar solutions and have increased the banking services of Nigeria's 84.6 million inhabitants. In addition to this work, Nichole is committed to making gender diversity a priority within the fintech space in Nigeria and enhancing opportunities for women in leadership.
Olaoluwa Samuel-Biyi
Olaoluwa Samuel-Biyi is a co-founder of SureGifts, a gift card retailer and technology provider for Nigeria. Olaoluwa joined the founding group of Jumia in 2012 to work on business intelligence and commercial planning, before setting off to build SureGifts. See also investments and financial strategy for Venture Garden Group. He studied Accounting and Finance at the University of West Indies, Barbados.
And of course, the main event will be Startup Battlefield. Fifteen companies will compete in front of a live audience and the best judges for a shot of US $ 25,000 in cash no equity plus a trip for two to compete in Startup Battlefield at the flagship event of TechCrunch, Disrupt in 2019 ( assuming the company still qualifies to compete right now).
Startup Battlefield Africa is just around the corner and you can get your tickets here.
