U.S. State Department to Partner with AFTS Addis Ababa

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2019

The Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) is pleased to announce that the United States Department of State will be joining AFTS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as a partner for the November 21st summit.

The 4^th edition of AFTS will focus on the future of banking, mobile money growth and integration, policy and regulation, e-commerce, job creation, blockchain, digital identity, remittances, and financial inclusion.

?We selected Ethiopia as the host for the 4^th AFTS event because it is a unique time in the country?s growth. The momentum around the U.S. State Department?s support of Ethiopia in both the public and private sector is reflective of this new chapter in Ethiopia?s history, so we are excited for the opportunity to join forces with the State Department?s Office of Global Partnerships,? said Leland Rice, CEO of Dedalus Global LLC and one of the co-organizers of AFTS.

This partnership is facilitated through the U.S. Department of State?s Office of Global Partnerships (GP), which ?strives to advance the Department of State?s top foreign policy priorities through private sector engagement.? Building off of this spring?s Ethiopia Partnerships Forum, GP will lead a Partnership Opportunity Delegation (POD) to Addis Ababa during Global Entrepreneurship Week to better understand what opportunities for collaboration exist in the country?s startup and creative economies. The day after AFTS, GP will host P!TCH ETHIOP!A, a startup bootcamp and pitch competition for Ethiopian entrepreneurs.

On day two of the Africa Fintech Summit, GP will host the inaugural edition of P!TCH ETHIOP!A, a pitch and demo event for Ethiopian startups. Ten finalists will be given a chance to pitch to investors, customers, and government partners, providing them with world-class feedback, prizes, and potential investment. Winners will travel to Silicon Valley, CA as semi-finalists in the Startup World Cup.

Zekarias Amsalu, Founder and MD of Ibex Frontier and a co-organizer of AFTS, also expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. ?As an investment catalyst focused on bringing more human & financial capital to the flourishing Ethiopian tech ecosystem, I am looking forward to welcoming GP?s POD to AFTS and their engagement to Ethiopia?s Shebavalley tech ecosystem players that will add impetus to the growing private-sector momentum.?

In addition to the State Department, strategic partners for the summit include PeaceTech Lab, Corporate Council on Africa, and Startup World Cup.

Tickets for AFTS Addis Ababa are on sale now. To learn more or to register, visit https://africafintechsummit.com/v2/. For more information on P!TCH ETHIOP!A, visit https://www.lionsafrica.org/pitch-ethiopia.html

For more information:

Cambria Hayashino, Director of Communications

cambria@africafintechsummit.com