(http://demo.com/)
DEMO(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593439&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.demo.com%2f),
world-renowned for launching the most innovative companies in
enterprise, mobile, cloud computing, consumer, social media and
disruptive technologies, today announced the launch of DEMO Africa,
which will be held October 24-26, 2012 at the InterContinental Hotel
in Nairobi, Kenya.
The newest addition to DEMO's Global Launch Program, DEMO Africa 2012
will provide the most innovative emerging and established companies
from African countries the opportunity to launch their products on
stage and announce to Africa and the world they have arrived. The
event will also act as a platform for companies outside the region
looking to launch in the African market.
"Africa is emerging as a hotbed for technology and innovation," said
Neal Silverman, senior vice president, DEMO. "DEMO Africa 2012 allows
for a collaborative environment where leading minds and companies from
African nations can come together to gain exposure on a global level.
DEMO's goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to get these
exciting companies exposure and, ultimately, success in their
respective industries."
DEMO also announced at the World Economic Forum today its partnership
with the U.S. Department of State, Microsoft, Nokia, African
Development Bank, USAID, and Global Entrepreneurship Week to launch
the Liberalizing Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA)
Partnership, a new public-private alliance aimed to enhance and deepen
Africa's startup and innovation ecosystems. As part of that
partnership, LIONS@FRICA will work with IDG
Enterprise(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593442&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.idgenterprise.com%2f)
and CIO East Africa (publishers of CIO and CIO100 in East Africa) to
produce DEMO Africa. All three organizations are determined to connect
African innovators and entrepreneurs to the global innovation grid.
DEMO's partnership with LIONS@FRICA will also feature Meet the Lions,
a competition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world's largest
celebration of innovators who launch startups that bring ideas to life
and drive economic growth. Selected African start-ups will be given
the opportunity to present their business plans to prominent African
entrepreneurs and business executives in an effort to secure
investments.
"Microsoft is pleased to be part of LIONS@FRICA and a founding partner
for the inaugural DEMO Africa in 2012 where we will collaborate to
identify the next generation African entrepreneurs and help them
succeed," said Claire Lee, head of industry partnerships, Microsoft.
"Microsoft supports entrepreneurs globally through the BizSpark
program and our network of Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) and has
a long-standing partnership with DEMO, Startup Weekend and Global
Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)."
The next DEMO event, DEMO Fall
2012(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593445&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eiseverywhere.com%2fehome%2fDEMO%2fevents%2f),
will take place October 1-3, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara.
Companies participating in the DEMO Fall 2012 Conference will have
access to the Global Launch Program which provides global exposure
through free access to the showcase program at any other DEMO
conferences around the world. All international conferences --
including the two DEMO conferences in the United States, DEMO Asia,
DEMO China, DEMO Brazil and DEMO Africa -- are included in the DEMO
alumni network and DEMO Global Launch Program. Launch companies at
each event will also benefit from the unparalleled services provided
by DEMO, including presentation coaching, a dedicated DEMO public
relations team, turn-key exhibitor station with signage, and the six
minute launch video and profile hosted on-line and accessible to a
broad audience through VentureBeat and IDG Enterprise properties.
Applications are currently being accepted for companies to launch
products at DEMO Africa 2012. All interested organizations should
submit initial company information via the "Apply Now" button at
www.demo.com(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593448&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.demo.com%2f).
For more information on the partnership and sponsorship opportunities
visit meetthelions.org. You can also follow LIONS@FRICA on Twitter
@lionsafrica(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593451&type=1&url=https%3a%2f%2ftwitter.com%2f%23!%2flionsafrica).
Stay connected with DEMO through the communities on the following
sites:
About the DEMO ConferencesProduced by the IDG Enterprise events group
in conjunction with VentureBeat, the DEMO conferences in the United
States, Asia, Brazil and Africa focus on emerging technologies and new
products innovations, which are hand selected from across the spectrum
of the technology marketplace. The DEMO conferences have earned their
reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow's cutting-edge
technologies, and have served as launch pad events for companies such
as Palm, E*Trade, Handspring, and U.S. Robotics, helping them to
secure venture funding, establish critical business relationships, and
influence early adopters. For more information on the DEMO
conferences, visit
http://www.demo.com/(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=876519&id=1504414&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.demo.com%2f).
The DEMO community also benefits from the award winning DEMOletter. A
weekly e-newsletter designed to reach the people who are creating
companies, building products and launching new ideas, DEMOletter
provides smart insight and analysis of entrepreneurial business
issues. To subscribe, go to:
http://www.demo.com(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=876519&id=1504417&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.demo.com%2f).
About IDG EnterpriseIDG Enterprise, an International Data Group (IDG)
company brings together the leading editorial brands (CFOworld, CIO,
Computerworld, CSO, DEMO, InfoWorld, ITworld and Network World) to
serve the information needs of our technology, security and
financial-focused audiences. As the premier hi-tech B2B media company,
we serve our reader and advertiser audiences by delivering
award-winning content, community, conversation and conversion
solutions across our entire portfolio of websites, events, magazines,
products and services. In addition, the CIO Executive Council is a
peer advisory service that delivers on the business, technology, and
leadership needs for the world's elite CIOs and their respective
staffs. For more information, visit
www.idgenterprise.com(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=846296&id=1212019&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.idgenterprise.com%2f).
Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is
available at
http://www.idg.com(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=876519&id=1504420&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.idg.com%2f).
About
VentureBeatVentureBeat(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=876519&id=1504423&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.venturebeat.com%2f)'s
mission is to provide news about innovation for forward-thinking
executives. The New York Times called VentureBeat one of the "best
blogs on the Web," and now syndicates VentureBeat's articles. Reuters
and many other publishers also run VentureBeat articles. All product
and company names are trademarks of their respective companies.
About Microsoft BizSpark Microsoft@ BizSpark@ is a global program that
helps software startups succeed by giving them access to software
development tools, connecting them with key industry players, and
providing marketing visibility. The program also includes access to
Windows Azure, a flexible, comprehensive, and powerful cloud platform
for the creation of web applications and services. In addition,
BizSpark offers technical support, business training and a network of
over 2,000 partners to connect members with incubators, investors,
advisors, government agencies and hosters. Since it was established in
2008, more than 45,000 companies in over 100 countries have joined
BizSpark.
http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark(http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release=885458&id=1593463&type=1&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.microsoft.com%2fbizspark)
About Microsoft Innovation Centers As knowledge and innovation become
the primary catalysts for economic growth, the Microsoft Innovation
Centers can play a vital role in generating powerful new ideas through
training, education and knowledge transfer. Microsoft Innovation
Centers (MICs) are a partnership with government, academic and
industry.
