Paris, June 15, 2023 – Heirs Holdings Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, today featured in a one-on-one fireside chat with Maurice Lévy, the Chairman of Publicis Groupe, co-founders on the prestigious event, in a session titled, “Entrepreneurship in Africa: Africapitalism”. This comes as part of his participation as a major institutional speaker at the Viva Technology (VivaTech) Conference happening in Paris from June 14th to June 17th, 2023.
The annual event represents Europe’s largest premier technology conference – a platform that brings together startups, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, and tech enthusiasts from around the world.
Tony O. Elumelu returns to Paris to discuss technology on a global stage having been invited by the President of France, H.E. Emmanuel Macron, to the Tech for Good Summit in 2018 and 2019, where he represented the African continent and challenged world leaders to make capital investments on the continent that will ensure that tech is truly for all.
During his session at this year’s VivaTech conference, Tony O. Elumelu further emphasised the transformative power of investments in Africa, citing firsthand experiences of how such investments can uplift societies, alleviate poverty, and improve livelihoods. He underscored the importance of long-term investments in critical sectors to drive socio-economic growth across the continent, reiterating his belief in tech for good and tech for all.
“You can’t be an Africapitalist if you are not a technologist.”
“Businesses that cannot embrace technology are built to fail – entrepreneurs should be building to last.”
“It has become a cliche that technology can help Africa leapfrog infrastructure challenges and transform our environment- but we see this every day.”
– Tony O. Elumelu, CFR
Beneficiaries of the Entrepreneurship Programme of the Tony Elumelu Foundation – the philanthropic arm of Heirs Holdings is already leveraging the power of technology to create solutions, with businesses like Econergco, Greenpact and Powerstove contributing to the eradication of energy poverty in Africa. While Curacel, one of the winners of this year’s AfriTech Awards, is addressing insurance inclusion in Africa through technology.
As an astute business leader with a remarkable track record for turnaround success, Tony O. Elumelu, who through his foundation is also a key figure in the African entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem, concluded the session by sharing valuable entrepreneurial advice with the audience.
Watch the full session here.