“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” – Award-winning Artist and Illustrator, Henry Hartman

Opportunity is often rare and those who choose to ignore it are forced to suffer in regret. So when the chance to bank on something promising is presented to an interested party, that party is expected to make some sort of move.

Kenyan business accelerator, 88mph will be holding a Demo Day on Thursday the 13^th of December, to showcase some of its Start-ups. The event will run from 3pm to 9pm at the 88mph Start-up Garage on the 4th Floor of Piedmont Plaza, located along Ngong Road.

It will give investors a chance to cash in on some of the organization’s already established companies. From Pesatalk, Kenya’s fastest growing financial news and information publication, to M-Kazi, an online job search platform, and ManyattaRent, Kenya's first real estate management software, Start-ups will take center-stage as they display innovative ways to generate capital.

Trailblazing Opportunities

The event will also give investors and individuals with an interest in the fast-paced and ever-growing African tech sector a chance to see the latest, locally available business initiatives. Opportunities will range from angel investment sizes of USD 10,000 (KES 862,000) to USD 15,000 (KES 1.29 million) and up to several millions for the most promising Start-ups.

Described as Africa’s most active seed fund, 88mph provides up to USD 100,000 (KES 8.6 million) per Start-up. So far, 88mph has invested in 15 start-ups in Kenya since September 2011. In July of 2012, the firm received USD 300,000 (KES 25.8 million) from Nigerian investors to fund Futaa, a local online football news resource Startup. By October 2012, M-Kazi  had raised USD 100,000 (KES 8.6 million) and now aims to make USD 350,000 (KES 30.1 million).

Aside from funding the Start-ups, 88mph provides them with immediate reach to Africa’s biggest growth markets via tech hubs in Nairobi and Cape Town as well as agreements with several other local hubs across the continent.

“Some of our startups have created seriously disruptive products that are born out of the needs of a developing market with sky-rocketing mobile uptake,” explains Program Manager for 88mph, Nairobi, Nikolai Barnwell. He has described the mobile/web Start-up scene as a new opportunity existing in an exploding market.