For investors
Find the nextone first.
Screened startups, live demos and founders ready to talk. SMCON26 brings Cameroon's builders to one stage so you can spot, meet and back them in three days.
Why invest at SMCON26
What investors come for.
Curated deal flow
Every Pitch Contest entry is screened and shortlisted before it reaches the stage.
Meet founders face to face
Talk to teams at their booths, after Demo Day and at the Founders/Funders Dinner.
Diligence in person
See products working, not slides. Ask the hard questions on the exhibition floor.
The Startup & Entrepreneurship Track
Pitch Contest preliminaries, founder sessions and startups past the idea stage that need capital, networks and partners to grow.
Co-invest with peers
Share the room with angels, funds and corporates looking at the same market.
The Founders/Funders Dinner
An evening connecting founders, investors, executives, development partners and the diaspora. Ticketed.
Deal flow
From application to your shortlist.
- 01ApplicationsStartups apply with a deck and a two-minute video.
- 02ScreeningJudges review every entry and pick a shortlist.
- 03Semi-finalShortlisted teams pitch live to the jury.
- 04Final on stageThe best pitch in front of the whole conference.
- 05Your meetingsMeet the teams you like at their booths and the dinner.
Investor programme details are a draft until confirmed by the organisers.
Where to look
Sectors to watch at SMCON26.
Where Cameroonian founders are building, and where the exhibition floor will be busiest.
Investor list
Join the investor list.
Get the Pitch Contest shortlist, invitations to investor sessions and the chance to judge or mentor.
FAQ
Investor questions.
How are Pitch Contest startups selected?
Startups apply with a deck and a short video. Judges review every entry and shortlist teams for the semi-final, and the best go through to the final on the main stage.
Can investors judge or mentor?
Yes. Tell us in the form on this page. The programme team builds the Pitch Contest jury and mentor list from investors who register.
What stage are the startups?
Mostly early stage, from working prototype to first revenue, with some growth-stage companies on the exhibition floor.
What does it cost investors?
The main conference is free with registration. The Founders/Funders Dinner, where founders meet investors, executives, development partners and the diaspora, is ticketed. The Startup & Entrepreneurship Track and the Startup Pitch Contest final on Saturday 14 November are the places to see teams up close.
Back what
Buea builds.
Founders, demos and deal flow. Nov 12–14 in Buea.