ALGIERS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The African Startup Conference opened Thursday at the International Conference Center in Algeria's capital Algiers, convening ministers, technology leaders, and entrepreneurs from across the continent for three days of discussions, exhibitions, and networking.
Algerian Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui inaugurated the event, delivering remarks on behalf of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Tebboune highlighted Algeria's leading role in Africa's startup ecosystem, describing the conference as a critical platform for fostering innovation and collaboration among thousands of entrepreneurs.
With Ethiopia as this year's guest of honor, the conference has drawn participation from 45 ministers and more than 800 investors, startups, and industry experts.
The conference focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle challenges and unlock opportunities across the continent, aiming to translate innovative ideas into actionable projects to drive sustainable development in Africa, organizers said.
More than 30 sessions, alongside side activities, are scheduled to assess the implementation of Africa's startup roadmap and Algeria's contributions to fostering growth in the sector. This year's conference will also introduce a new roadmap for AI development in Africa, building on discussions from previous editions.
