The SA Innovation Summit, Africa’s biggest start-up event, has partnered with the French Embassy in South Africa and Vinitech, the leading international trade show for vine, wine, and fruit and vegetable professionals, to announce the prize for the top South African start-up in the 2019 Winetech Pitching Den.
The French Embassy and Vinitech will present the first placed South African start-up with a return flight to France, including transfers to Bordeaux, and tickets to the 2020 Vinitech Global Tradeshow. The winner will get an exhibition stand in the start-up area at Vinitech and will present at the ‘Forum des entreprises’. The winner will also receive an invitation to the Vinitech gala evening where their company will be promoted.
Vinitech is the benchmark event for innovations in the wine, arboriculture and vegetable production sectors in Bordeaux, attracting over 45,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors from 70 countries. Vinitech facilitates meetings and boosts business by offering several specific services to connect professionals, visitors and exhibitors. These services include the Business Meetings facility which enables delegates to identify and schedule meetings with potential partners.
The partnership between the SA Innovation Summit and the French Embassy / Vinitech aims to increase the global reach of start-ups in the South African and French wine industries by facilitating market access and business opportunities across the two countries. It builds on a partnership between the French Embassy and Winetech, an industry body which connects industry-ready innovations with South African wine producers in order to strengthen profitability and competitiveness in the local and international markets.
The Winetech Pitching Den is searching for agritech innovators and disruptors who are providing unique solutions and products which can be commercialized to wine producers. It takes place on 12 September 2019 in Cape Town.