b rning heroes
Africa STARTUP awards
early stage startups
PRODUCT DESIGN
INNOVATION
fundraising
CAMPUS
MARKET FIT
Take part in the top Winter 2024 startup event! Get public recognition for your early-stage startup, find investors and advisors.
ABOUT
Burning Heroes is the first start-up awards created by founders for founders!
BH Africa - Startup competition is for campus-based, pre-seed and seed Startups in Africa/Middle-East powered by Burning Heroes Founders Association.
Our mission is to help Early-stage Startup Founders reveal their potential and help develop the African/Middle-East region which has a huge potential. Burning Heroes is supported by USA, Europe and Africa top partners such as: 500 Global, APX.VC, Techstars, Starta VC, Stanford Entrepreneur Club, Flat6 Labs, Plug and Play, Savant etc.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Pre-seed start-ups
Do you have an idea that you’ve worked hard on? Do you have confirmation from your early adopters? Have you developed your MVP or prototype? Apply and gain access to investors and top advisors with Burning Heroes!
Seed start-ups
Have you developed a product or service? Have you validated the product-market fit and can demonstrate some traction? Apply and open the door to new opportunities with Burning Heroes!
(It’s super simple, we promise!)
NOMINATE A SUPERSTAR STARTUP
Thanks in part to Australian ‘tall-poppy-syndrome’, we know some start-up founders might be hesitant to put their hand up for an award. They might also be so busy building, they don’t know the Burning Heroes Awards exist!
If you know a start-up worthy of recognition - take 30 seconds to give them a nudge by completing our nomination form here. They’ll get an automated email letting them know you think they’ve got what it takes, along with some information on the awards.
Note: They will only officially enter the competition if they submit a formal application.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Pre-seed start-ups
Do you have an idea that you’ve worked hard on? Do you have confirmation from your early adopters? Have you developed your MVP or prototype? Apply and gain access to investors and top advisors with Burning Heroes!
Seed start-ups
Have you developed a product or service? Have you validated the product-market fit and can demonstrate some traction? Apply and open the door to new opportunities with Burning Heroes!
NOMINATE A SUPERSTAR STARTUP
Thanks in part to Australian ‘tall-poppy-syndrome’, we know some start-up founders might be hesitant to put their hand up for an award. They might also be so busy building, they don’t know the Burning Heroes Awards exist!
If you know a start-up worthy of recognition - take 30 seconds to give them a nudge by completing our nomination form here. They’ll get an automated email letting them know you think they’ve got what it takes, along with some information on the awards.
Note: They will only officially enter the competition if they submit a formal application.
APPLY NOW
(It’s super simple, we promise!)
AWARD CATEGORIES
There are six main categories our judging panel will use to award prizes.
MOBILITY & PROP-TECH
Criteria:
• Market Validation
• Usability
• Business Model
CLIMATE & AGRI-TECH
Criteria:
• Impact
• Originality
• Business Model
FIN-TECH & INSUR-TECH
Criteria:
• Originality
• Leadership team
• Business Model
Emerging & HI-TECH
Criteria:
• Disruptor
• Knowledge intensity
• Development stage & Operational readiness
AI for GOOd
Criteria:
• Originality & Innovation
• Impact & Effectiveness
• Sustainable & Ethical use
EdTech & Civic Tech
Criteria:
• Originality
• Impact
• Domain knowledge
KEY DATES
UNTIL apr 1, 2024
Applications and nominations open for the competition.
An application should include: a pitch-deck, product/prototype link, brief explanation of the problem you’re solving, and why your solution fulfills the criteria for the categories you’ve selected.
APR 12, 2024
The Burning Heroes team will carefully evaluate the applications submitted and select a shortlist of finalists
APR 23 & 25, 2024
Finalists’ Live online Pitch sessions in front of the Burning Heroes Africa Juries
MAY 1, 2024
Announcement of winners in each nomination
If you weren’t selected for an award, don’t worry, you will still get valuable feedback.
TEAM & JURY
Pitch JUDGES
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join the competition
Applications are closed. Stay tuned for updates.
Have questions?
Get in touch!
africa@burningheroes.com
FAQ
What is the Burning Heroes definition of a startup?
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We define start-ups as any new business that has the potential to scale fast, is agile and often has a characteristic driven by technology or innovation.
Can any startup participate regardless of the industry?
Yes, we welcome start-ups from any industry to participate in our contest and present us the problems you’re solving with your solutions.
I’m a busy start-up founder - what’s the total time it will take to participate?
The process to participate as a start-up is really simple and designed to only take the minimum time required, but give you maximum benefit for your input.
All you’ll need to do is:
1. Submit an application form. If you have a pitch deck ready, this should take you no more than 2 minutes.
2. If you’re shortlisted in the top companies selected to pitch at our online event, aside from the time to practice your killer pitch, the event will take 2 hours with 3 minutes allocated to each pitch and 2 minutes for Q&A.
That’s it!
What will participation in this contest give me?
The top 15 start-ups selected will receive valuable feedback from investors and experts from leading African companies. Winners across each category will be awarded with individual consultations with the experts from the panel of judges, access to a closed community of The Burning Heroes Association, perks from our partners, as well as mentions in the media!
If my company is not registered yet, can I still participate?
To participate in this contest it is not mandatory to have a registered company. We want to see ideas that have vast potential.
If my pitch deck is raw or under-developed, should I still participate?
We recommend applying even if you are not confident in your deck. We pay much more attention to your ability to grow based on the market fit, product design, and the technology you are leveraging. If we can see this we will help you to improve your pitch and materials.
Will there be certificates for participants and winners?
In addition to the experience, the Top 15 participants will receive a unique certificate stating that you took part in the Burning Heroes Australia Startup Awards. Winners will also receive an electronic badge that they can share on their website or social media.
How much does it cost to enter the competition?
It is completely free to enter in the competition and there are no hidden costs. Burning Heroes is a not-for-profit organisation focused purely on positive impact. The organising team is made up 100% by volunteers who are just passionate about seeing start-ups thrive! We also keep our costs low by hosting the pitch event online, which also makes it more accessible to participants from across the country.
What will happen at the live online pitch event?
The pitch event will invite all top 15 start-ups shortlisted to pitch to our panel of judges. Each start-up will have a maximum of 3 minutes to pitch, and then 2 minutes will be allocated for Q&A from the judging panel.
At the end of the event, the judges’ scores will be tallied and the winners should be notified by email and officially announced in 2 days!