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Reserve your seat at the 9th edition of the highly anticipated Africa Early Stage Investor Summit 2022 (#AESIS2022)

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4 years ago

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AESIS2022

#AESIS2022 brings together investors and senior business leaders from angel networks, VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and the public sector

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, August 16, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The largest gathering of Africa-focused early stage investors is back for its 9th edition taking place from 2 – 4 November, 2022. This year the three-day Summit will be a mix of virtual components and in-person Investor meetups in over 25 cities all over the world. The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit 2022 (#AESIS2022) is once again joined by renowned investors, industry associations, policy makers and ecosystem support partners in the true sense of for investors, by investors.

#AESIS2022 is the annual, exclusive, must attend assembly proudly brought to you by VC4A and ABAN. Each year, the hosts bring a unique theme and approach to challenges, trends and insights on shaping the future of the investment scene on the continent. The two main themes this year are “Investing with a Gender Lens” and “Climate/Green Tech”.

Anticipate a dynamic mix of online and in-person activities

#AESIS2022 brings together investors and senior business leaders from angel networks, VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and the public sector. Here are the highlights coming up at #AESIS2022:

  • 25+ Investor Meetups hosted by investor organizations happening simultaneously on the evening of November 2nd. Want to become a host in your own city? Indicate your interest before August 29th here (https://bit.ly/3C7iOaa);
  • For the virtual Summit, the focus on Thursday November 3 will be on (pre-)Seed investments and Friday November 4 around Series A and later stage startups;
  • Meet the 14 companies selected for the 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase: Women Founder edition. Venture Showcase alumni have been able to raise 500M+ USD so far;
  • New this year: #AESIS2022 welcomes accelerator and ecosystem support organizations (ESOs) to participate in an ecosystem side event. Investors take the hot-seat in a reverse pitch to bridge the gap between views on being Investment ready. ESOs will hear directly from investors, their views on priority value-add brought to prospective investees through interventions. In addition, they will engage in workshops around their own financial sustainability as pipeline providers. This, and more in the afternoon (CAT) of Wednesday, November 2nd. 

In-Person Investor Meetups

Connect with the investor community right where you are. Investor Meetups at #AESIS2022 are locally-led events supported and organized by investor community members in 25+ cities. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to network with peers in an informal setting. Due to limited space, please keep an eye out on the event website to reserve a seat as of mid-September. If you would like to become a host you can register your interest here (https://bit.ly/3C7iOaa).

The 2022 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa: Women founder edition

With over 2000 attendees expected and 80+ speakers from diverse verticals, the stage for #AESIS2022 is the premier meeting place for facilitating rich dialogue with stakeholders

Out of $4.5B+ invested in African startups and scaleups last year, only 7% went to female founders [1]. That’s $1 for every $15 raised going to women-led ventures. In addition to creating awareness, VC4A launched the Venture Showcase Africa: Women founder edition (https://bit.ly/3w9Pk7T) as a concrete way to engage investors and drive capital support to outstanding women led companies. These high-impact, high-growth companies represent the best investment opportunities on the continent today, looking to raise Seed and Series A rounds of between $250K and $10M.

Building on the discussions at #AESIS2021

From the thought-provoking #AESIS2021 keynote delivered by David S. Rose, renowned Entrepreneur and Angel Investor, he remarked ‘The industry is being driven by a young and growing population that is tech-savvy and eager to start a business. Africa’s population is increasingly well connected and eager to consume digital solutions.’ These trends feed a growing interest in the continent and ensure continued investment and support for Africa’s entrepreneurs.

Mathew Marsden, coFounder at GetLion concluded, ‘The event brought together leading minds in African investing, and in summary, the future is bright. Investment appetite is growing, more funds and angel syndicates are emerging, a diverse array of ecosystems are booming and even more “exits” are anticipated. The message for investors… get in or get left behind!’

In 2021 alone, Africa saw some of the biggest deal-flow successes till date, smashing the ceiling and closing $4.5B+ in investments across 740+ deals [1}. Despite the gaps and challenges plaguing the ecosystem, the trend is picking up momentum once again with startups accumulating $2.25B in the first four months of 2022 [2].

With over 2000 attendees expected and 80+ speakers from diverse verticals, the stage for #AESIS2022 is the premier meeting place for facilitating rich dialogue with stakeholders and a burst of power-packed networking opportunities throughout.

Join the discussion at #AESIS2022

Visit AfricaInvestorSummit.com (https://bit.ly/3w6bJTw) and make sure to block November 2-4 in your agenda. Successful registration will give you exclusive access to our community of investors representing over 90% of capital being invested into startups on the African continent. Approved investors get access to highly curated deal flow with the most investable ventures from emerging markets.

For media requests and partnership and sponsorship opportunities, please contact the organizers by email: team@AfricaInvestorSummit.com.

References:

  1. ‘Africa’s Investment Report 2021’, Briter Bridges, https://bit.ly/3C5hm8f 
  2. ‘African startups raise $2.25bn in first four months of 2022’, BusinessDay Nigeria, https://bit.ly/3pp2Cd4

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VC4A.

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RusselSmith Formally Transitions to Arridex

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3 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

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Nigeria

The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves

LAGOS, Nigeria, June 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Arridex (www.Arridex.com), formerly RusselSmith, recently announced its formal change of name, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. The change reflects the significant expansion of the organisation’s capabilities and the breadth of industries it now serves, which extend well beyond the oil and gas services with which it began operations in the early 2000s.

 

Founded as an asset integrity company serving Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the organisation has grown into a multi-sector industrial technology group operating across oil and gas, maritime, aerospace, defence, construction, and manufacturing. Its subsidiaries cover engineering and construction delivery, autonomous systems development, and advanced technology products, in addition to its industrial additive manufacturing and asset integrity operations.

Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa

The organisation holds Pioneer Status in additive manufacturing, granted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and is the first company qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for additive manufacturing deployment in the oil and gas sector. Both represent formal recognition of Arridex’s capabilities and its role in building indigenous industrial capacity at scale. With more than twenty years of continuous delivery, Arridex holds certification to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, underpinning an integrated management system that governs its operations across all sectors, and has recorded zero lost time incidents across over seven million man hours of operations.

The name change coincides with a significant operational milestone. The Arridex Omnifactory, West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility, has been commissioned in Lagos. The Omnifactory integrates multiple additive manufacturing technologies including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Cold Spray, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) under one roof, enabling on-demand production of industrial components, spares, and improved part designs for critical industries. The Omnifactory’s large-format additive manufacturing capabilities also enable the production of large-scale structures, including full-size marine components. Its commissioning is the clearest measure of the distance that Arridex has travelled from its origins.

Africa’s critical industries have for decades depended on components and specialist expertise imported from outside the continent, with supply chains that routinely extend across multiple jurisdictions and lead times that affect operational continuity for asset owners when dealing with legacy parts. The Omnifactory manufactures industrial components and parts on demand in Lagos, helping to build operational resilience in critical industries.

Kayode Adeleke, Group Chief Executive Officer of Arridex, said: “The name RusselSmith defined what we were at the start. Arridex defines what we have built. The dependency of African industry on fragile supply chains is a structural problem that this continent has accepted for too long. The Omnifactory is a concrete answer to the challenge of manufacturing sovereignty. Arridex is the name of the company built over two decades and raised intentionally to enable industrial resilience in Africa.”

Arridex is a Designated Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and serves clients across Nigeria and the wider African region. The organisation has a joint venture partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for military-grade additive manufacturing, is a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and is also a member of the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN). With the Omnifactory commissioning in June 2026, Arridex enters its next phase of operations under a name that reflects the full scope of what it has built.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Arridex.

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New Quality, Shared Future – Beijing CBD Extends a Global Invitation for Cooperation

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3 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

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Beijing

If there are only three days to understand China’s economic development, Beijing CBD is a good place to start.
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 June 2026 – In mid-June this year, 2026 Beijing CBD Forum Annual Conference will be held as scheduled. Nearly ten thousand participants from five continents will gather here, with international speakers accounting for more than 50% of the lineup. Yet the Forum is but a window; the true landscape worth the world’s attention lies just outside – the central business district itself.

“International Density” on Seven Square Kilometers

In the core area of Beijing CBD – a mere seven square kilometers – nearly 16,000 foreign-funded institutions and 125 regional headquarters of multinational corporations (MNCs) are located. This represents half of all MNC headquarters resources in Beijing.

This is no coincidence. The district is one of China’s most internationally oriented, service-rich, and mature international business zones. From law firms and consultancies to financial institutions, the world’s top professional services firms have formed a complete ecosystem here.

What makes the area even more valuable for overseas companies and organizations is that policies here are not just written on paper – they are embedded in actual processes.

From pilot schemes on cross-border data flows, to facilitated access for foreign financial institutions, to one‑stop service desks for international talent – Beijing CBD has long served as a pilot zone for institutional opening‑up. Foreign enterprises find that issues they encounter here tend to be addressed and resolved more quickly.

During this year’s Beijing CBD Forum annual conference, the Ambassadors’ Roundtable Dialogue will establish a regular communication mechanism, and the “International Delegations’ China Tour” will allow overseas business representatives and zone managers to conduct in‑depth site visits and exchange experiences. What is even more noteworthy, however, is that such exchanges are not confined to the Forum – they continue year-round here.

Beijing CBD: A Sincere and Pragmatic Invitation

Artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green technologies – these areas, known as “new quality productive forces,” are not empty buzzwords here. The Forum includes dedicated sessions on technological innovation, financial opening‑up, law-business integration, cultural industries, and international consumption. Yet what truly deserves the attention of potential international partners is the industrial foundation behind these topics.

Beijing CBD is home to the densest concentration of foreign financial institutions and cross‑border capital in China. A large number of tech companies are engaged in cross‑sector collaboration with traditional industries here. High‑end professional services – international law, arbitration, compliance – are highly concentrated, providing support for both inbound and outbound business activities. Moreover, as the starting area of the city’s international demonstration zone for law-business integration, the district continues to focus on strengthening the rule of law in commercial affairs, improving its legal services framework, enhancing the resolution of international commercial disputes, and fostering a stable, transparent, predictable, and internationally competitive business environment. In the future, Beijing CBD will build a one‑stop legal and commercial service platform that integrates legal, auditing, intellectual property and other professional resources to precisely serve companies going global and managing cross‑border operations.

Here, you will find that its vitality derives mainly from genuine business judgments about market opportunities. For enterprises, the cooperation logic here is predictable, commercial, and sustainable.

Beijing CBD is not merely a striking poster – it is a real‑world district where hundreds of thousands of business people move every day, thousands of foreign‑funded institutions operate, and countless cross‑border transactions take place.

If you are looking for a stable gateway to the Chinese market, or a high-level hub to connect global resources with local applications, it deserves your consideration.

The Forum’s 2026 annual conference lasts only three days. But Beijing CBD is open all year round.

 

 

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20th Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Global Forum on Islamic Finance to Convene in Azerbaijan

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3 days ago

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June 12, 2026

By

IsDBI

Marking its 20th edition, the forum serves as a flagship platform for high-level dialogue, convening policymakers, regulators, development practitioners, academics, and industry leaders to advance innovation and development in Islamic finance

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, June 11, 2026/APO Group/ —

The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (https://IsDBInstitute.org/) will host the 20th IsDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance in Baku, Azerbaijan on 17 June 2026 under the theme “Achieving Sustainable Prosperity through Islamic Finance,” in conjunction with the IsDB Group Annual Meetings.

 

Marking its 20th edition, the forum serves as a flagship platform for high-level dialogue, convening policymakers, regulators, development practitioners, academics, and industry leaders to advance innovation and development in Islamic finance. This year’s forum will focus on strengthening regional integration and unlocking sustainable growth across IsDB member countries through Islamic finance solutions.

The forum will examine how Islamic finance can help address structural development challenges, including “development traps” that constrain inclusive growth and resilience. It will also highlight innovative Islamic social finance mechanisms, particularly Awqaf Free Zones, as tools for mobilizing sustainable resources to support food and energy security.

Key highlights of the forum include keynote speeches, launch of a new report on the prospects of Islamic Finance in Azerbaijan alongside other flagship publications, announcement of a memorandum of understanding between IsDBI and Labuan Financial Services Authority, distinguished panel discussion sessions, and unveiling of top achievers in the Applied AI in Islamic Finance Competency Challenge.

H.E. Taleh Kazimov, Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, will deliver the first keynote speech, followed by Eng. Adeeb Yousuf Al Aama, Chief Executive Officer of ITFC, whose speech will be on behalf of the IsDB Group. Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of IsDBI, will deliver the welcome remarks.

The first panel session will explore how Islamic finance can help countries overcome development barriers and achieve sustainable economic transformation. The panelists include Mr. Shahin Aydin Mahmudzade, Executive Director, Central Bank of Azerbaijan; Mr. Adnan Zaylani, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia; Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, Director, Division for Prosperity, UNITAR; Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute; and Dr. Areef Suleman, Chief Economist, IsDB Group. The session will be moderated by Mr. Mustafa Adil, Head of Islamic Finance, London Stock Exchange Group.

The second panel session will examine innovative approaches to mobilizing Islamic social finance, particularly through Awqaf Free Zones, to address global food and energy challenges. The speakers include Mr. Valeh Alasgarov, Chairman of the Board, AFEZ Authority, Azerbaijan; Dr. Mansur Muhtar, Chairman of the Board, Bank of Industry, Nigeria; Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Azmi Omar, President & CEO, INCEIF University; and Mr. Orkhan Vidadi oglu Mammadov, Chairman, Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (KOBİA). The session will be moderated by Mr. Yahya Rehman, Associate Manager, IsDBI.

The forum is expected to generate actionable recommendations, strengthen partnerships, promote stakeholder collaboration, and advance innovative, AI-enabled tools to support the growth of Islamic finance globally.

More information about the forum is available on IsDBI website here.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

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