Ethiopia’s Enkopa Summit Returns, Championing Deals, Innovation, and Enterprise

Addis Ababa is a favored destination for summits and high-profile convenings. While most events in the city are led by government bodies or development organizations, one private sector gathering has stood out, and is set to return with renewed vigor. The Enkopa Summit will be held in Ethiopia’s capital on October 9th and 10th, with a laser-focused approach on catering to businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

The Managing Partner of Laurendeau and Associates (L&A) and Founder of Enkopa Lab- Bernard Laurendeau - is a prominent face in the nation’s tech and startup sector. He has championed free enterprise in Ethiopia for over 5 years, aims to make this year’s summit a rewarding playground for the private sector. Molded over several years, the Summit evolved from an earlier initiative dubbed EDGET (an acronym that also means development in Amharic), which aimed to address the limiting constraints faced by digital entrepreneurs in Ethiopia.

“A voice for the private sector, “Bernard told Shega of his aspirations.

The last Enkopa Summit two years ago, with 1,200 attendees and 300 companies, enabled several participants to secure deals, form partnerships, and attract investment. One of the highlights was the Madeg Partnership, which saw five Ethiopian investment firms ally to identify investment opportunities on behalf of a Japanese venture capital fund. 

In its first round, the initiative identified 29 local companies spanning a wide array of sectors that had an opportunity to raise up to $150,000. The Summit also featured a diverse group of 150 high-profile speakers from the public and private sectors. Yared Endale, General Manager of Eastern Africa at Visa, Belete Mola (PhD), Minister of Innovation and Technology and Gary A. Bolles, Chair of Future Work at Singularity University, were among the lot. 

Aiming to maintain the trend, the second Enkopa summit will feature several local and international investors, including Ken Shibusawa, grandson of Eiichi Shibusawa, who is referred to by many as “the father of Japanese capitalism”. Investors from the United States of America, Europe, China and other African countries have also show keen interest in participating in the Summit. 

Bernard says the point of Enkopa is not to lecture or teach but rather to enable businesses to make impactful deals. Efforts to launch the Summit initially kicked off in 2021 by the former Jobs Creation Commission (JCC) in partnership with L&A as part of a national movement to celebrate and promote Ethiopian entrepreneurship stories. It ultimately spun off to be spearheaded by  Laurendeau & Associates (L&A),  a management consultancy with deep roots in Ethiopia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

Enkopa’s founder feels like the surface has barely been scratched towards unlocking the full potential of Ethiopia’s private sector. While Bernard recognizes recent headways in unshackling the country’s economy from the tight state grip, he pins accelerated gains on nurturing foundational business principles. 

“Allowing business people to speak and connect freely unlocks investment, jobs, and deals,” he says.

His insights find grounding in statistics. According to a survey by Swoogo, 52% of businesses believe that events deliver the greatest ROI compared to other marketing channels. Another international study revealed that the business event industry created more than 10 million direct jobs in a single year. 

In Africa, summits like the Africa CEO Forum have become highly anticipated occasions that draw in thousands of attendees from across 70 countries in a matter of 12 years. While Ethiopia’s capital often hosts continent-wide political events, partly due to it being home to the African Union’s headquarters, there are no private sector led business-oriented events that come close to that scale.

The Enkopa Summit looks to gain enough traction in the coming few years to become one such event in Africa. As Ethiopia increasingly opens itself up for foreign capital and aims to transition into a private sector-led economy, in-person engagements are proving to be vital. Furthermore, the global business events industry on its own is a major engine in several economies, valued at around $1.6 trillion by some estimates. 

While Addis Ababa is no stranger to political summits, its business event landscape remains underdeveloped in comparison. Rwanda, for example, has actively positioned itself as a hub for global convenings, even branding itself "Africa’s Singapore" in an effort to court investment and organizers alike.

But despite constraints, the Enkopa team remains committed. With participants from 25 countries at the last summit and rising international interest, organizers hope this year’s event will further expand its reach.

Organizers also note that attendance is limited, and registration is required. As interest grows, they hope those eager to be part of Ethiopia’s transformation narrative won’t be left behind. Sponsors and participants alike.

The theme for this year’s Enkopa Summit will be: Commerce, Technology, Deals.