An overview of BioInnovate:
Meet the Fledge Network of Business Accelerators
From Fledge:
Startup Incubators and Accelerators and their limitations by @Bosede_Edwards
A few decades back, start-up incubators were the rave within the entrepreneurship community. Schools and universities, private companies and even research labs all ventured into incubators. Through several business plan competitions where ideas and plans were evaluated for novelty, feasibility, viability, and potential for profitability, project ideas become eligible for incubation and trainings opportunities were provided to the participants in addition to some level of funding...[more]
Hatching New ideas – Big Food’s incubator and accelerator programmes
How to Make the Most Out of Business Accelerator Programs for Development – @SSIReview
From Stanford Social Innovation Review:
Research on 23,000 ventures reveals factors that donors, managers, and entrepreneurs should consider as they choose to support, run, or use accelerators, the increasingly popular training programs that help businesses succeed...[more]
The Design of Startup Accelerators
Abstract
Accelerator programs are an increasingly important part of entrepreneurial ecosystems. While accelerators have core defining features—fixed-term, cohort-based educational and mentorship programs for startups— there is also significant variation amongst them. In this paper, we relate key variation in the antecedents, organizational design and operation of these programs to theories of firm-level entrepreneurial performance. We then document descriptive correlations between these design elements and the performance of the startups that attend these programs. In doing so, we probe the connections between design and performance in ways that integrate previously disparate research on accelerators and expand our understanding of startup intermediaries. Our findings delineate the building blocks as well as an agenda for future researchers to build upon not only our understanding of accelerators, but also our understanding of what new ventures need to survive and flourish...[more]
Why Hardware Funds, Accelerators & Makerspaces Matter. A @TechCabal profile of Film Anatomie
TechCabal profiles Film Anatomie covered earlier
“When it doesn’t come out right, they blame the editors.”
Chuks Oteke had had enough of the complaints about his work. In 2012, he set up his video production studio where he provided visual effects and video editing services, but every now and then he received complaints from clients who were dissatisfied with his work. To them, Oteke was the problem but to him, the problem was the raw video cuts he got from his clients...[more]
Exits Are Real In The African PE Space – @weetracker
From Weetracker:
...homegrown, international—and even Silicon Valley—VCs bet big on seemingly scalable African ventures. PE firms are not only following suit, but also providing some VCs with the ticket power to back these companies.
Obviously, some early-bird VCs in the African tech startup soil have been smiled upon with high-profile exits. Even accelerators have also reaped the spoils of deals like Fluterwave's USD 170 Mn raise (and unicorn status) and Paystack's USD 200 Mn acquisition by Stripe...[more]
Hardware Garage, Nigeria will help you grow your Hardware Startup
The Hardware Garage is a centre for local content promotion in Nigeria. A private driven entity where product ideas or prototypes are turned into commercially viable products/company.
We are a team of passionate engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, business managers and investors who believe in the abundant human capital in Africa. We are driven by the historical successes of local content creation and are turning selling and sellable ideas or products in Nigeria into locally produced goods. By this, we are not only saving forex, we are also creating more jobs for Nigerians and breeding a stronger human capital for the future.
Taking a look at Beauty Brand Incubators and Accelerators
From Kolabtree:
...With the social media buzz shaping an online health & beauty community, beauty enthusiasts across ages, demographics, and professions are co-creating a beauty revolution. Beauty startups are soon becoming “beauty unicorns” with billion-dollar valuations, most of them incubated by America’s oldest and latest funding and incubation programs.
More than $2.7 billion has been invested by venture capitalists in the personal care and beauty startups between 2008 and 2017. Even L’Oréal, Sephora, Estée Lauder, and LVMH have started their own startup acceleration programs in the past 2 years.
Here are some of the most influential business incubator programs in the United States that have not only made a splash in the beauty-tech space but have also changed the overall perception of beauty...[more]
Adopting Incubators in Agribusiness
The African Union (AU) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have been pushing for investment in agriculture and increased food production. At a webinar, experts in agribusiness incubators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) showed the way to go...[more]Related video:
Study on Agri-Business Incubators and Accelerators in Sub-Saharan Africa (Entrepreneur Support Organizations)
For Scientist Founders – The Sci-Founder Fellowship program
If you're a scientist with a new business idea, the Sci-Founder Fellowship program wants to hear from you.
The newly announced program is looking to provide up to $400,000 in startup funding to teams of early-career scientists (typically, scientists who have earned their highest degree within the last seven years and have yet to secure academic tenure).
The program isn't looking to fund any type of science research, though — the team behind it specifically wants to help scientists bring to fruition tech that could improve people's lives...[more]
"Crypto Startup School" Documentary via @a16z https://youtu.be/jVehCoqJgYQ
From a16z:
China’s consumer digital revolution now reaches ‘back into the supply chain and the farm’: Local VC
From Agfundernews:
The US continues to dominate investment in agritech innovation. According to AgFunder research, US startups netted $8.7 billion in funding across 683 deals last year.
That’s just over a third of all 1,858 agrifoodtech venture deals worldwide – and closer to half of of total global funding in dollar terms, at $19.8 billion.
But China isn’t far behind – and, as the consumer digital revolution that has gripped the country in the past decade moves up the supply chain to the farm gate, it’s only going to close the gap with the US farther. That’s the view of Matilda Ho, founder and managing director of Shanghai-based VC firm Bits x Bites...[more]
Miller Center’s Food Systems Accelerator focusing on Africa Takes Off
From the Miller Center:
Building upon the experience of accelerating nearly 100 agriculture-related enterprises that have collectively saved, improved, or transformed 40 million lives and raised almost $100 million in capital following their participation in our programs, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is honored to support a new cohort of enterprises creating climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa.
18 for-profit and hybrid organizations addressing food security through tech-enabled solutions are participating in Miller Center’s Food Systems Accelerator cohort, which runs September 2020 through February 2021. This program provides executive mentorship, targeted content, and strategic partnership with ecosystem supporters like Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the African Green Revolution Forum, and the Sankalp Forum Africa Summit...[more]
Eleni Gabre-Madhin @EleniGabre founder of the BlueMoon Agribusiness Incubator @blueMoonEth on the future of Agribusiness in Africa https://youtu.be/ZeMB-cdyuXc
From CGTN:
Meet Global academic science and tech startup accelerator program Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) @creativedlab
From Techcrunch:
Global academic science and tech startup accelerator program Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is adding a dedicated stream to its existing areas of focus, which include AI, health sciences, space, quantum computing, blockchain, energy, and oceans. The new addition is a timely one: CDL Recovery, which is designed to help turn science and research work into scalable products and services to address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of both its effects on public health and on the economy...[more]
Chemin – A South African Chemical Technology Incubator
The South African Chemical Technology Incubator Chemin is a not-for-profit business incubator, under the Small Enterprise Development Agency’s incubation program, that is dedicated to supporting the growth of very early stage technology-based businesses in the South African Chemical sector. Chemin provides clients with an exceptional entrepreneurial business environment that promotes collaboration, innovation and encourages ingenuity as well the creation of wealth.
Coming up with ideas for Biotech Startups
From Bay Bridge Bio:
Five Nigerian startups got into Y Combinator’s 2020 winter batch via @dadabenblog
From Benjamin Dada:
Eleven years ago, the first Nigerian company got into Y Combinator—an American seed accelerator. The Nigerian company was the defunct online advertising platform, PetaSales.
Later in 2016, Paystack and Flutterwave—leading payment platforms in Nigeria—joined the accelerator programme. Since then, Nigerian startups have become staple Africa representatives at Y Combinator (YC), participating in its last four batches.
Out of the 197 startups in the 2020 winter batch, 12 are African startups and five of the 12 are Nigerian startups, namely: Bamboo, CrowdForce, Eze, SEND Shipping, and Termii...[more]
Ideate, collaborate, and co-build is the mantra for Lagos-based startup studio, CeedCap @CeedCap
A profile of CeedCap in techpoint::
Over the years, models for startup growth and acceleration have matured. New entities have unfolded to guide and nurture seedling companies, developing them from conception through to launch and sometimes, exit. It is common knowledge that these models include angel investors, incubators, accelerators, and venture capitalists (VCs), among others...[more]
Tech hubs across Africa to incubate the next generation
From the Africa Report:
Africa has more than 600 tech hubs and rising, ranging from incubators and accelerators to co-working sites. While the startup game is about survival of the fittest, it is also one where community is power...[more]
The Land Accelerator: Empowering Restoration Entrepreneurs https://youtu.be/E8eLmp5h_14
From the World Resources Institute:
Pangea Accelerator | ShelterTech #Kenya Accelerator Program https://youtu.be/O0EIZ3IYyEA
From ShelterTech Kenya Accelerator:
The ShelterTech Kenya Accelerator Program, is the first kind in Africa. It has been supporting 30 businesses working to address challenges in affordable housing in Kenya. The event culminated in a Demo Day on May 24th 2019. 7 businesses are finalizing with investors on investment.
Something to consider across Africa | How co-op accelerators and incubators are supercharging a worker-owned economy
From Shareable:
...Cooperatives are increasingly taking a page from the Silicon Valley playbook and launching cooperative accelerators, academies, incubators and at least one contest – Hoy said Rogue’s competition is the first – to help build the next generation of cooperatively-owned businesses. Their goals are in line with the zeitgeist: democratizing ownership and giving employees, consumers, and communities a stake in the businesses where they shop or work. Co-op accelerators and incubators like Start.coop in New England, Sismic in Montreal, and Green Worker Cooperatives in New York, are grooming new cooperatives to think beyond just their local communities and build business models that can scale, allowing them to connect to new regions and demographics.More here
Apply to the AgriLab Bootcamp – Enabling Entrepreneurs in AgriTech from @vp_impact
AgriLab is an Agritech Ideation Workshop and Bootcamp for Young Start-ups and is focused on enabling AgriTech Entrepreneurs to succeed. AgriLab aims to enable young Nigerians to turn their start-up ideas into full-fledged business models ready for investment.
The power and benefits of running a business accelerator rather than a traditional venture capital fund. – @lunarmobiscuit
Luni Libes writes:
A few times per year I attend conferences full of fellow fund managers, managers of family offices, and big impact investors. The rest of the year I share investment opportunities multiple times per week with other investors.
From all these conversations, I’ve come to realize the power and benefits of running a business accelerator rather than a traditional venture capital fund. A few times per year I attend conferences full of fellow fund managers, managers of family offices, and big impact investors. The rest of the year I share investment opportunities multiple times per week with other investors.
From all these conversations, I’ve come to realize the power and benefits of running a business accelerator rather than a traditional venture capital fund.
From 10,000 feet away, we do the same job. We invest in young companies, providing capital to grow. But from 10 feet away the approaches are vastly different. And those differences boil down to what we do with flawed companies. A common, polite terms for flaws is “yellow flags”, so lets’ stick with that.
At an accelerator we expect yellow flags. We seek them out, and when we find them, we consider how hard they will be to fix...[more]
Agro-Bootcamp gets green entrepreneurs into shape in #Benin @agrobootcamp
An Agro-Bootcamp in Benin aims to teach basic, traditional ways of agriculture in order to push a self-sufficient Africa...[more]
Impact Africa Network #Kenya founded by @markarake
Impact Africa Network is...
...an ecosystem catalytic startup studio whose mission is to ensure young local talent in Nairobi can access the digital transformation opportunity in Africa as creators and owners and not just as consumers...[more]
The ‘Growth Africa Acceleration Program’ #Kenya @GrowthAfrica
Growth Africa bootcamps are a combination of mentorship, learning, guidance and having fun. The entrepreneurs have the chance to network and develop long term relationships among each other while at the same time meeting investors who prepare them for investment readiness.
AfricarTrack founded by Jacob Rugano : A vehicle tracking service @LtdAfricartrack
From the GrowthAfrica Accelerator : AfricaTrack:
Africartrack is a leading tracking and fleet management company in Kenya and beyond. we do digital, cross-border tracking of vehicles and motorcycles.via
From the @icipe – Science Institutes incubating Entrepreneurs – Young Women Trailblazing in #Ethiopia ’s Honey Economy – @MastercardFdn
From the MasterCard Foundation:
Wudie Aymero is a 26-year-old young woman from a rural village in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. While some of her friends in the community completed their schooling, Wudie was not able to pursue her education beyond grade ten, leaving her out-of-school and without decent job prospects. In 2016, Wudie learned about the Young Entrepreneurs in Silk and Honey (YESH) project, a partnership between the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and the Mastercard Foundation. In Ethiopia, where more than 75 percent of the population is under 34 years old, YESH empowers unemployed youth to establish technologically modern enterprises and increase their access to financial services and formal markets. Excited about the opportunity to learn new skills and earn an income, Wudie enrolled in the YESH beekeeping program being offered in her community.
Beekeeping is a long-standing and widely practiced activity across Ethiopia. In recent years, there has been an increase in both local honey consumption and global demand for quality honey and honey by-products. The practice of beekeeping has remained constrained by a dependence on traditional harvesting techniques that are inefficient and unprofitable. Moreover, it has remained largely a male-dominated activity. Hives are traditionally hung on tall trees far away from the home and honey is harvested after dark since it is believed to minimize the aggressiveness of bees. These practices have historically made beekeeping and honey production inaccessible for many women and girls as it is considered unsafe and inappropriate for them to travel long distances at night.
The YESH program took this into consideration in their planning and became the first of its kind to engage large numbers of young women and girls in beekeeping value chains in Ethiopia. YESH plans to reach 10,000 young people over five years, with at least 30 percent being young women. During its first two years in operation, YESH recruited 2,900 young people to its apiculture sites of northwestern Ethiopia...[more]
Candidate for a Biotech Accelerator : COVIP-Plus – Anti-Snake Venom developed at UNIJOS #Nigeria cc @EmekaOkoye @SciTechAfrica
The Vanguard reports:
The African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development, University of Jos in collaboration with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP on Wednesday unveiled the first indigenous and world first Anti—Snake vaccine called COVIP-Plus in Abuja...[more]
African Biotech Startups at the BioCiTi training program
VentureBurn reports:
The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) has announced the names of nine SA and Zimbabwean biotech entrepreneurs that have been selected to take part in BioCiti, a six-month training programme in Cape Town.The selected companies are:
The programme, which will run at the Bandwidth Barn, is being run in partnership with SA’s OneBio and The TechVillage from Zimbabwe...[more]
- CapeBio Technologies
- Gourmet Grubb
- MyBiome
- PharmaHealth Technologies
- Tryad
- WNNR Biotech
- My BluePrint
- D Chem Group
- AlphaKymeric
Apply to the “Africa Power Access Accelerator”
From Africa Power Platform:
The “Africa Power Access Accelerator” program by the African Power Platform (APP) bridges the existing gap between project developers and consultants / technology providers / financiers.
The APP brings in to this program the efforts of different stakeholders to partner for the successful implementation of power projects in Africa.
Bringing together the expertise of a range of partners, the "Africa Power Access Accelerator" program creates a platform where developers can access everything required to get their project to implementation. From development expertise and funding, equity and debt providers, consultants, technology and equipment providers to full EPC and O&M services, we put viable projects on a success track...[more]
Stories of Agripreneurship in Africa from the Entrepreneurs themselves cc @julietkego
From FAO:
Unlocking Pipeline: A playbook for entrepreneur support in Africa – @villagecapital
From Village Capital:
Entrepreneur support has become an industry in Africa. The number of organizations dedicated to helping entrepreneurs scale has doubled in the past few years. But deal flow remains stubbornly low, especially at the early stage.
This report compiles lessons, case studies and trends gathered from our pioneering VilCap Communities Africa program and interviews with more than 300 stakeholders in our network.
The first section, Takeaways, is a playbook of best practices for ESOs, grantmakers and startup investors. The second section, Ecosystem Overviews, consists of high-level snapshots of the landscape today, and several in-depth case studies of ESOs...[more]
Motorized Tricycles from Takoradi #Ghana
From Kofi TV:
Entrepreneurship funds in Africa: distinguishing good from bad – Aubrey Hruby @AubreyHruby
Over at Moneyweb:
Entrepreneurs have a pivotal role to play in Africa’s unemployment crisis. Today over a third of the continent’s young workforce (those aged 15-35) are unemployed. Another third are in vulnerable employment. By 2035, Africa will contribute more people to the workforce each year than the rest of the world combined. By 2050 it will be home to 1.25 billion people working aged...[more]
#Nigeria needs one #Kenya to build Africa’s first agritech innovation incubator in three years
From Spore:
Over the next three years, the World Bank Group working with national, regional and international partners plans to create Africa’s first agritech incubator located in Kenya. The incubator will scale up agritech innovations by connecting over one million Kenyan farmers to a digital platform– for market access, production information, and financial services.More here
Modern technology for "Juakali", the informal sector in #Kenya and elsewhere via Gearbox http://www.gearbox.co.ke/stories/2019/3/18/u7b2es3sfg48ucdadcf4plv5y8qewi?fbclid=IwAR3LZ6fujoA_62-0oMsS1Kn7fvO4G1p7ywEiKHC3VuQhqkmEOIWg3GQIzww
From Gearbox:
There is a booming informal sector in Kenya of small-scale traders, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs. A large percentage is known as “Juakali” (“in the hot sun”) because they work by the roadside, sometimes with shelter, sometimes not. Supremely adaptable, whatever you want made, copied, or created, the Kenyan informal business sector can provide it—and fast.
In a recent survey, the Juakali sector employs more than 14 million people translating to an 83.4 percent total jobs in the country and contributes 34.3 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Making it one of the most intense sectors in the Kenyan economy.
As other countries move to adopt more advanced technologies to enhance their productivity, Kenyan artisans remain trapped in the Stone-Age applications, consequently hindering their growth and that of the economy. However ,Gearbox seeks to promote the creation of inclusive manufacturing opportunity for Kenyans by providing modern technology resources and training to curb this problem.
Gearbox’s approach is also decidedly future-facing, meaning that the technologies and methodologies it avails are consistent with the 4th industrial revolution. Gearbox also goes further to ensure that the assistance provided is end-to-end by partnering with others who complement their work. The African Innovation Ecosystems Group (AfricaIEG) is a business resource network that brings together various parties interested in proactively designing, developing and deploying new innovation ecosystems across Africa to create a pipeline of investment-ready, technology driven businesses...[more]
Future of Higher Education: Apprenticeships & Accelerators vs. Business School by @PeterDiamandis
Should you go to graduate school?
If so, why?
If not, what are your alternatives?
Millions of young adults across the globe — and their parents and mentors — find themselves asking these questions every year.
Earlier this month, I explored how exponential technologies are rising to meet the needs of the rapidly changing workforce.
In this blog, I’ll dive into a highly effective way to build the business acumen and skills needed to make the most significant impact in these exponential times.
To start, let’s dive into the value of graduate school versus apprenticeship — especially during this time of extraordinarily rapid growth, and the micro-diversification of careers...[more]
HEVA Fund – East Africa’s first dedicated creative fund wants to turn the region into a global arts hub
Over at Quartz:
HEVA Fund, which describes itself as the region’s “first fully-fledged” creative catalyst program...Founded in 2013, the fund has been helping producers of cultural goods and services—be it visual and performing arts, film, and television, games, fashion, or music—build innovative and profitable businesses...[more]
The Frontier Markets Access Hardware Accelerator #China- #Nigeria @emeka_okoye @Oukwuani @ijele5000 @GearboxKE
From JJK:
The Frontier Markets Access Accelerator will bridge the gap between consumer and business needs in Nigeria and available manufacturing capabilities in China to create market-leading products in Nigeria. This is most easily done by identifying white-label products that already exist at scale, and modifying them in intentional and creative, but inexpensive ways to better apply to market needs. This can be done by providing entrepreneurs addressing the Nigerian market with access to design-for-manufacturing and sourcing guidance, and a modest capital runway of around $50,000USD per company. Frontier Markets Access Accelerator is a partnership between the ARTOP design firm, Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab, and Jeremy Kirshbaum to provide this investment capability to capital partners looking to expand into the Nigerian market and beyond...[more]
How to boost early stage deal flow in Africa – FT
From the FT:
Seed and early stage investment in Africa remains stubbornly low and new thinking is required to boost deal flow. One largely untapped resource is Entrepreneur Support Organisations such as tech hubs, accelerators and incubators, which are proliferating on the continent. ESOs have great potential to catalyse investment but only with the right agenda and resources...[more]
Sprout – Agritech Startup Accelerator
Agfunder News highlights Sprout Accelerator New Zealand:
For most agritech startups, earning a competitive slot at an accelerator can make or break a burgeoning company. As agritech has solidified its spot among venture capital investors, countless accelerators and incubators have popped up to help provide eager investors with a seemingly endless conveyor belt of new companies...[more]
In #Nigeria the two brothers who invented bitterleaf washing machine
Techeconomy reports on potential hardware makerspace and or accelerator candidates:
Bitterleaf washing machine? Yes, young talents from Anambra State, Atikpo Chukwuebuka and Ubaka Chukwuebuka (founders of
Aceinventiontech), have developed a prototype bitterleaf washing machine while expecting investors to build the finished product.
The two brothers, who are based in Awka, Anambra State are out to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector using technology, help create employment, and support made-in-Nigeria agenda...[more]
On the road, in search of Crazy Ideas in 13 Nigerian Cities. Here’s what we learnt – ccHUb Accelerator
Francis Sani writes:
It’s 3:15 pm on May 28, 2018. I just finished listening to 5 students in UNILAG presenting the ideas that their group came up with and I am stunned!They had just 25 minutes and in that time, they were able to come up with ideas on how VR can be used to tackle the driving problem in Lagos/Nigeria, how AI can be used in crime detection and the role AR can play in helping people overcome their phobia, amongst many others.This “stunned” feeling was one that the Fbstart roadshow team felt a lot during our 4-week journey across 13 cities in Nigeria. Our aim was to kick-start conversations about deep tech, promote the FbStart Accelerator and discover solutions being built by students across the country...[more]
ALX Launchpad a 6-month leadership accelerator from ALU Ventures founded by @FredSwaniker
From Fred Swaniker's African Leadership Group:
ALX Launchpad a 6-month leadership accelerator that empowers high potential recent graduates to launch careers of impact or their own venture.