Leading startups from Africa and India present bold ideas at investor showcase

Some of the world’s most promising startups have been in London pitching their bold ideas to investors to expand their global impact.

Founders presented their high-potential ventures to investors and industry leaders at a special showcase hosted by Imperial. The event marked the culmination of the inaugural Commonwealth Startup Fellowship, a flagship Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) programme funded by the UK government and delivered in partnership with Imperial.

Nineteen startups were selected for the highly competitive programme which assessed applications from more than 1,400 companies across 44 eligible countries and territories. 

The startup founders then took part in a six-month accelerator programme to equip them with the skills to build thriving businesses, scale operations effectively, and drive job creation in their regions. 

Many of the exciting startups are already revolutionising sectors such as agriculture, transport and renewable energy or pioneering new innovations and technologies in healthcare. 

The startups, which are all from low‑ and middle‑income Commonwealth countries, will use new funding from investors and support from the programme to rapidly scale and develop their ventures. 

A keynote speech was given by Babatunde Soyoye, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Helios Investment Partners, the world’s largest Africa-focused private investment firm. Mr Soyoye, an Imperial Business School alumnus, urged the entrepreneurs to “think big, think bold, be brave and have big ambitions”.