Lagos will host the second edition of the Africa Technology Summit

Introduced through a series of themed panels and keynote presentations, this year’s ATS discussions will identify and explore the key players and innovations sweeping the continent.

“Africa is fast becoming a destination for top technology companies and players. Global brands and personalities like Mark Zuckerberg and Y Combinator have visited and invested in the continent in recent months, and Lagos, in particular, is on its way to becoming an influential stage in the global tech space.

"We’re especially excited to host ATS in a city and a country that we believe is really going to take off,” says MEST founder Jorn Lyseggen.

Speakers include some of the biggest names in the tech and mobile space, including representatives from Google, Uber, Vodacom and Samsung, as well as a range of African entrepreneurs from leading companies Interswitch, Iroko, MainOne and much more.

“MEST places a strong emphasis on curating the right crowd. ATS attracts an impressive list of attendees across from telcos, banks, multinational tech giants, entrepreneurs, investors and media.

"This year’s summit promises attendees the opportunity to drive forward new ideas and forge relationships with the some of the brightest minds in the field,” says Katie Sarro, Managing Director of MEST.

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New to this year’s program is a MEST Demo Day on December 7 where MEST’s top portfolio companies will pitch in front of a range of investors.

ATS also coincides with MEST’s recent launch of its Lagos Incubator, which currently has a portfolio of five startups sitting in Nigeria.

“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s vibrant tech scene as well as comparing and learning from others across the region.

"ATS is a great venue for bringing the different pockets of Sub-Saharan Africa together in one place, under one roof, for two days of exchanging ideas,” says MEST Lagos Incubator General Manager Neku Atawodi.

This year’s panel topics include: comparing tech landscapes across regions, building the infrastructure to support Africa's ambitions, leaders in fintech, developments in agritech, corporate venture capitalism, investing in African tech, and finally a MEST Startup Demo Day.

Some of the speakers confirmed thus far include:

- Mitchell Elegbe, Founder & CEO, Interswitch

- Funke Opeke, Founder, MainOne

- Omobola Johnson, Chairperson, Global Alliance for Affordable Internet

- Jason Njoku, Founder, Spark & Founder & CEO, Iroko

- Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, Country Manager, Nigeria, Google

- Ebi Atawodi, General Manager, West Africa, Uber

- Wale Ayeni, Senior Investment Officer, IFC World Bank Group

- Sam Ajadi, Insights Manager - Ecosystem Accelerator, GSMA

- Tayo Oviosu, Founder & CEO, Pagatech

- Chika Nwobi, Partner, Rise Capital & Founder/CEO, Level 5 Lab

To get your early bird ticket, visit the ATS website. For more information and sponsorship enquiries, please email partnerships@meltwater.org