AB InBev Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge for African Entrepreneurs 2021

The world’s largest beer company, AB InBev, has partnered Hindsight Ventures to launch the Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge, which will offer startups access to venture development and grant funding. AB InBev, which has over 500 brands and over six million B2B customers in over 100 countries, launched Beer Garage a few years ago with the objective of driving innovation by building a strong community of ecosystem stakeholders. As part of this initiative, AB InBev is now launching the Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge, a pan-African challenge to identify hi-tech, high potential startups and founders building innovative solutions across Africa. To do so, it has partnered Startup Réseau, an India-headquartered global startup accelerator, which will operate the programme through its Africa-focused vertical Hindsight Ventures. Beer Garage is one of the global innovation hubs at AB InBev with the objective of driving innovation by building a strong community of ecosystem stakeholders. The team works with business units to find novel solutions for their business problems by leveraging the vibrant Fintech, Africa, and APAC startup ecosystems. At Beer Garage, innovation is the cornerstone to building a sustainable business that improve lives in communities across the world. Fields of Applications: A pan-Africa challenge to identify hi-tech, high potential startups and founders building innovative solutions across Africa. The multi-sector challenge will be open to startups across the following 5 themes:

• Digital Sales: Provide technology with proven return on investment enabling Digital Sales, leveraging existing channels to find, engage and connect with prospective buyers along with building relationships on digital platforms, and converting it into offline sales.
• Digital Supply Chain: Provide disruptive technology leveraging the existing Supply Chain suit (demand planning, asset management, warehouse management, transportation and logistics management, procurement, order fulfillment) that can drive better insights empowering stakeholder(s) in the chain in making better decisions
• Sustainability: Focus on contributing progress toward the sustainability goals (Smart Agriculture, Water Stewardship, Circular Packaging, and Climate Action) where we can use our scale and partnerships to drive meaningful positive change.
• 3P Lending: Provide working capital loans and business growth loans to SME businesses for improving their cash liquidity.
• Alternative Payments: Provide payment solutions that enable card payments, bank transfers, accept digital payments, and sell value add services

About AB InBev

We’re building a company to last, brewing beer and building brands that will continue to bring people together for the next 100 years and beyond. With centuries of brewing history, we’ve seen countless new friendships, connections and experiences built on a shared love of beer.

Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge

Aim and Benefits of Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge

There’s a USD 5,000 grant money at stake, and the cohort will be pitching for the same. In addition, we sincerely hope that the international demo day will attract venture investors to take a serious look at the cohort, and many will get investor interest.

Requirements for Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge Qualification

Hi-tech, high potential startups and founders building innovative solutions across Africa.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Beer Garage Africa Innovation Challenge

• Ten startups will be selected to take part in a Global Venture Bootcamp, a three-week venture mentorship and leadership development programme that will be delivered by successful founders, industry leaders, domain experts and investors.
• The Venture Bootcamp will culminate with an international demo day, wherein the cohort will pitch to a global audience comprising investors and corporates. Prior to the demo day, the cohort will be ably coached by pitch coaches, to ensure that each pitch is succinct and conveys a compelling story.
• At the demo day one African startup will stand to win US$5,000 in grant capital. All selected startups get access to US$150,000 in technology credits from partners.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit AB InBev website.