Bridging Continents with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda

At The Carbon Games, we believe that meaningful innovation thrives at the intersection of collaboration, sustainability, and bold ideas. Since 2022, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to be part of the Africa-Europe Innovation ecosystem, through a series of high-impact events supported by the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.

From our debut pitch under the African sun in Cape Town, to an award-winning appearance in Brussels, and most recently a thought-leadership role in Marrakech, this journey has reinforced the global relevance of our work in climate tech, AI, and sustainable mobility.

🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa – AU-EU Innovation Festival

Our first involvement with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda began in Cape Town, where we were invited to pitch at the AU-EU Innovation Festival—a landmark hybrid event organized by the European Union, African Union, and the Republic of South Africa.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Table Mountain, we presented our on-demand event carpooling solution to a live audience of over 300 innovation enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders. The reception was overwhelming—this was our first time pitching in Africa and our first step in engaging with event organizers who wanted to add a sustainable, community-driven mobility layer to their gatherings.

More than just a pitch, it was an invitation to build cross-continental partnerships and rethink how innovation can scale equitably and responsibly.

🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium – European Angel Investment Summit 2023

Later that year, we were selected to pitch at the European Angel Investment Summit (EAIS) in Brussels, hosted by the European Business Angels Network (EBAN) in collaboration with the AU-EU Innovation Platform. With over 500 attendees and 30+ startups, EAIS is one of the most significant gatherings of early-stage investors and ecosystem leaders in Europe.

Our pitch focused on climate-conscious urban mobility, and the role of tech in nudging behavioral change toward net-zero goals. Among intense competition, The Carbon Games was selected as one of the five winning startups of the summit, recognized for our vision, scalability, and cross-border impact potential.

This milestone reinforced our belief that sustainable mobility isn’t just a local issue—it’s a global investment opportunity with real, measurable outcomes.

🇲🇦 Marrakech, Morocco – GITEX Africa 2025

Most recently, on May 28, 2025, we were invited to speak at the 4th Workshop on the Implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, held during GITEX Africa 2025 in Marrakech, Morocco. This workshop, organized in collaboration with the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the AU-EU Working Group, focused on Artificial Intelligence for Research & Innovation at the Africa-Europe interface.

Our co-founder Nikhil Mandrekar joined a panel of fellow innovators to share how AI and spatial data are being used within our platform to support smarter, more sustainable city planning and mobility systems.

It was an honor to represent Portugal and the broader European innovation landscape, while engaging directly with African peers and stakeholders who are driving bold, data-driven change across their cities and regions.

🌍 One Agenda, Many Connections

Our ongoing involvement with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda has been more than a series of events—it’s been a platform for mutual learning, vision alignment, and the scaling of impact across borders.

Through this partnership, we’ve been able to:

• Pitch to diverse audiences in Africa and Europe
• Validate and evolve our product roadmap through direct feedback
• Win recognition from investors and policymakers alike
• Contribute to the global dialogue on AI, sustainability, and mobility
• Form bonds with fellow startups, innovation hubs, and government-backed platforms

We’re grateful to the AU-EU Innovation Platform, European Commission, African Union, and all our host countries for championing initiatives that promote inclusive innovation, sustainable development, and collaborative futures.

‍