Do you have what it takes to compete in Startup Battlefield Africa 2018?

We’re counting the days until we head to Lagos, Nigeria to host TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018 on December 11. The region’s startup scene is taking off and, with more than 300 tech hubs connecting and mentoring entrepreneurs across the continent, it’s a great time to be an early-stage startup founder. Think you’ve got the right stuff to compete in Startup Battlefield? Don’t wait, apply here today.

Here’s how Startup Battlefield Africa 2018 works. We’ll accept applications from any kind of early-stage tech startup. Our TechCrunch editors — who have years of experience spotting high-potential startups — will evaluate every eligible submission (more on that topic a bit later). Basing their choices primarily on a startup’s potential to produce an exit or IPO, they will select 15 companies to compete.

The founders of each startup receive free pitch coaching from our Battlefield-tested editors, and they’ll be prepared and ready to face off on the big day. Five startups will compete in one of three preliminary rounds, and each startup team has six minutes to pitch and present their demo.

The judges then have six minutes to put each team through a rigorous Q&A, and all that pitch coaching will certainly come in handy. The judges will select five startups to pitch again in the semi-finals, and only one will emerge as the winner of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018.

Winning founders receive US$25,000 in no-equity cash, plus a trip for two to compete in Startup Battlefield in San Francisco at TechCrunch Disrupt 2019 (assuming the company still qualifies to compete at the time).

But you don’t have to win to benefit. Every participating startup receives invaluable exposure to the media and influential technologists, entrepreneurs and investors — not to mention the online TechCrunch audience. You will be launching your company to the world.

Here’s what you need to know about eligibility. All startups should:

• Be early-stage companies in “launch” stage
• Be headquartered in one of our eligible countries*
• Have a fully working product/beta that’s reasonably close to, or in, production
• Have received limited press or publicity to date
• Have no known intellectual property conflicts

If you’re detail-oriented, you can read our TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018 FAQ.

TechCrunch does not charge startups any fees or take any equity. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2018 takes place on December 11 in Lagos, Nigeria. Come on and take your shot. Apply to compete today.

*Residents in the following countries may apply:

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing language, the “Applicable Countries” does not include any country to or on which the United States has embargoed goods or imposed targeted sanctions (including, but not limited to, Sudan).

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