TechCrunch hosted its inaugural startup competition in Sub-Saharan Africa on October 11, 2017, at the Radisson Blu in Nairobi, with key sponsorship from Facebook. The event, known as TechCrunch Battlefield Africa 2017, aimed to highlight the region's most promising innovators, makers, and technical entrepreneurs. Fifteen startups competed by pitching their ideas to a live audience, with the event also being live-streamed by Channel 9 to reach a broader audience..

A distinguished panel of judges evaluated the pitches, selecting winners in various categories and naming Lori Systems as "Sub-Saharan Africa’s Most Promising Startup." Lori Systems' founders were awarded $25,000 USD in no-equity cash and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to San Francisco to compete in TechCrunch's flagship event, Disrupt SF 2018. Additionally, the winners joined TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Alumni Network. The event also featured an impressive lineup of speakers and provided ample networking opportunities throughout the day.

Waridi Events was responsible for the full end-to-end event project management. Our duties included selecting and coordinating the venue, managing vendor contracts, overseeing event registration, coordinating logistics, and handling event production. Our meticulous planning and execution ensured that TechCrunch Battlefield Africa 2017 was a seamless, successful, and impactful event for all participants.