@iBizAfrica wants you to sign up for ‘Neg­awatt Week­end’ Nairobi Challenge

Using a multi-phase open innovation methodology, this initiative aims to transform cities into more sustainable and energy efficient places.

The two days hack­a­thon will help one experience what it’s like to create and launch a start-up idea to solve local energy efficiency challenges. Participants will form teams and compete with one another to address specific challenge statements about local energy efficiency issues. Together, team members will come up with potential solutions that they refine and pitch in front of a jury.

Anyone interested in innovating around local energy issues can register. The competition is looking for innovators, techies, entrepreneurs, marketers and experts in the area of energy who can come together and form a winning team.

For the two days participants will be required to cre­ate and launch a start-up idea that addresses an energy efficiency problem in Kenya. Participants will then join a team and come together to work in a limited time frame that will help them focus on building, measuring and learning, unlike a typical brainstorming. By the end of Negawatt Week­end one will have created a prototype solution to an energy efficiency challenge.

Neg­awatt week­end will also give one an opportunity to meet new people who have a common interest in developing ground breaking innovation and start-up ideas. It will be an opportunity to network and learn from the best innovative brains in the country.

After the Neg­awatt Weekend the teams with the most promising ideas will be eligible to move on to the next phase (the Neg­awatt Boot­camp) as semi-​finalists, where they will be given the tools to further develop and pro­to­type their pro­posed solutions.

The semi-​final stage is a 1 month boot camp period where you will get free incub­a­tion for your start-up at @iBizAfrica, you will be mentored by experts and suc­cess­ful entrepreneurs and one will receive tailored training to help you build a robust product and business.

The Negawatt event will run from March 21- 22, 2015 at Strath­more University Auditorium and @iBizAfrica Incubation Centre.