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Overview
The Prosperity Games is an interactive gamified pitch competition created within the UK's Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Global Entrepreneur Programme in collaboration with the UK-SA Tech Hub and the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport. Developed within the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Games aim to introduce learning and development opportunities which are designed to facilitate a supportive and inclusive environment to support investment and development in core SDG areas such as:
- Gender Equality
- Good Jobs
- Economic Growth and Partnerships for Goals
The main aim of the event is to help entrepreneurs improve their pitch skills, connect with local angels and VC funders, as well as provide mentoring and best practice learnings through workshops and panels from UK and South African experts. The programme targets early-stage entrepreneurs and companies that have developed business concepts beyond the ideation stage but have yet to attract venture capital or other significant investment.
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How it works
The Games is a mix of pitching and networking alongside managed panel discussions and presentations. It is a real time, simulated investment game where founders of tech start-ups or scale ups pitch to 'investors' and other entrepreneurs taking part in the virtual funding round. The format is relatively simple and comprises two groups - the entrepreneur founders as well as 'investors'.
The Games attempts to mimic the feel of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the challenges that entrepreneurs face using The Games’ bespoke app available on iOS and Android. Each tech founder’s company is profiled on the app and is valued at £1 million at the beginning of ‘the game’. Participating ‘investors’ use the virtual £1 million to invest in their favourite start-up contestant throughout the day’s sessions. The three contestants with the highest virtual funds will be declared the winners.
