Category: Opportunities

  • Compete in the Betway Fintech Challenge to win GHS 20,000

    Compete in the Betway Fintech Challenge to win GHS 20,000

    Innovative online sports betting company Betway, has launched a three-phase competition, titled the Betway Fintech Challenge, with the winner taking home GHS 20,000.

    Betway, whose success can be attributed to the ease-of-access, have introduced for sports betting fans using digital platforms from banking and security to betting, announced the competition today at the Accra Digital Centre.

    The contest, is open to legal Ghanaian residents aged 18 and above and would accept applications from 19th February to 8th March this year.

    This competition consists of five (5) entry categories:

    1. Customer Connection & Experience Innovation – Solutions that enable merchants and customers to make payments in new ways. Any product that meets the need for cheaper, faster and easier payments processing capable of engaging and activating the under-served and under-banked populations.
    2. Data-driven Design – Solutions that are characterized by their capacity to leverage the data gathered in a primary business into financial services and may reduce transaction costs and improve decision-making, including using analytics to enhance risk and customer segmentation decisions.
    3. Investment & Wealth Management – Solutions that will enable the provision of wealth management/investment services in new and unique ways.
    4. Blockchain – Solutions that will use the concept and principles of blockchain technology to build trust and transparency in financial services that will promote greater financial inclusion.
    5. Organizational or Process Transformation – Solutions that focus on disrupting a traditional process in any industry that requires payments and new ways to enhance service delivery.

    Shortlisted finalists would be taken through training and workshops designed to equip them with knowledge on raising funds, pitching, branding and marketing amongst others, as well as new models and applications in the financial services space.

    To enter into the Betway Fintech Challenge, interested persons should visit the challenge page or pick up a form from the Concept Stores at Adabraka in Accra and Amakom in Kumasi.

    The five finalists will be invited to pitch their start-up vision to a panel of judges. At the end of each pitch, the judges will evaluate finalists based on problems addressed, market size and growth potential, differentiated solution and performance and traction with customers.

    Three winners will be announced on May 17 where the grand winner, first runner-up and second runner up will take home GHS 20,000, GHS 15,000 and GHS 10,000 respectively and all the final five will receive GHS 1,000.

    Speaking at the launch, Betway Country Manager of Operations, Magnus Rex Danquah Jnr. stated that the main objective of the challenge was to create a competitive environment for entrepreneurs to come up with solutions to help address challenges in bringing Ghanaian society to adopt digital mediums when it comes to banking, transacting, personal finance and investing.

    “The Betway Fintech Challenge will offer developers in Ghana an opportunity to design applications which will help address some of these problems identified in our society,” he said.

  • Apply for Fully Funded Google Conference and Travel Scholarships

    Apply for Fully Funded Google Conference and Travel Scholarships

    Deadline: 10th February 2019

    Overview

    Google believes that a diversity of attributes, experiences, and perspectives are needed to build tools that can change the world. Everyone deserves an opportunity to pursue connections in the industry, networking with peers, and a career path in technology. To help break down the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups in technology and business from attending leading conferences, we’re excited to offer Google Conference and Travel Scholarships for selected conferences in the tech industry and related fields.

    To encourage attendance at technical conferences, Google will provide selected recipients:

    Free conference registration

    Scholarship eligibility varies by region, so please review the information on the region-specific tabs:

    North America: Up to 1,000 USD (unless otherwise noted) reimbursement to retroactively be used toward airfare and accommodation costs (will be awarded after the conference)

    Europe: Up to 1,000 EUR towards travel and accommodation costs (will be paid after the conference)

    India: An award in the range of 1,000 – 3,000 USD that will cover conference registration, travel, accommodation and other related expenses.

    Africa: An award in the range of 1,000 – 3,000 USD that will cover conference registration, travel, accommodation and related expenses. Scholarship amount depends on the cost for the international conference.

    Japan & South Korea: Up to 3,000 USD towards air tickets and lodging cost (will be paid after the conference). Scholarship amount depends on the cost for the international conference.

    Scholarships will be awarded to the most qualified persons based on application review. Every applicant will be notified of their status according to the timeframes specified for the region.

    Eligibility for Africans

    To be eligible for a scholarship to attend an international conference, applicants must:

    Be a student enrolled with a recognized university in Africa who is in need of conference travel funds.

    Studying computer science, computer engineering, or a technical field related to the conference subject.

    Have a paper accepted for presentation (oral or poster) in the main conference program at a top-tier Computer Science conference. We prefer to support conferences in research areas where Google has a strong interest. Please visit research.google.com for a list of areas. The paper must be accepted for full publication and preferably full oral presentation. Workshop papers will not be approved for travel scholarships.

    Be the sole or joint first author of the accepted paper.

    To apply

    Please submit this form by the deadline for the conference that you wish to attend. We are currently accepting applications for conferences in 2019 only.

    Claim process

    We review applications monthly, all year round, therefore you will get our reply four to six weeks from the date of the application on. Once approved for a travel scholarship, the funds will be paid to the applicant’s university and the student may claim expenses using regular university procedures.

    For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].