Femtech

Have you got what it takes to succeed in a man's world?

If you are a dynamic female entrepreneur in Gauteng, and you have always wanted to own a hi-tech business, then this is an opportunity you cannot afford to miss!

The Maxum Business Incubator at The Innovation Hub, sponsored by the Embassy of Finland, has just launched Femtech - a pioneering support programme for women - that will empower aspiring businesswomen to start-up, grow and eventually sustain their own technology businesses.

And no, although it would be helpful, you do not have to necessarily know how to design or produce a technology product. You must have proven business acumen - with a track record to demonstrate this - and an interest in, and some understanding of, technology. You will identify from a list of opportunities that include: energy issues (eg, demand side management), safety and security challenges, biosciences and ICT, an opportunity on which to start a business. You may even have your own technological idea that you wish to commercialise.

“Women are the largest source of untapped potential in Africa and this presents the best place to look for new business, growth and development,” explains Dr Jill Sawers, Manager of Entrepreneurship at The Innovation Hub. “In order to find constructive and innovative new solutions that will grow South Africa's economy, it makes sense to create stimuli that will draw them into the mainstream economy.”

Should you be accepted into the Femtech Programme, you will be operating from the Innovation Hub, in Pretoria. Assisted by professionals from the US-based Multinational Development of Women in Technology (MDWIT) - a global resource connecting women around the world - you will be taken through a process of creative and lateral thinking to arrive at innovative business ideas.

This will allow for the development of your ideas into a solid, viable business, under the guidance and mentorship of a host of experts. Finally, should your business prove to be worth investing in, you will be granted access to venture capitalists and/or institutions that could supply the funding you need.

To qualify for this once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity, the following criteria must be met:

You must be

* A female South African citizen
* Passionate and self-driven, with high energy levels
* A woman with a vision
* Displaying strong evidence of entrepreneurial qualities
* A woman who wants to start a business developing and implementing innovative technology solutions

* Fluent in English
* With demonstrated computer and business skills
* At least four years' business experience - either in a corporate environment or as a business-owner
* Able to commit to time and activities associated with three, three-day workshops
* You must be willing to join the Maxum Business Incubation Programme if invited
* Reside within a two-hour driving distance from Pretoria
* Be willing to act as role-model to assist other women to achieve their potential

Preference will be given to previously disadvantaged groups.

Applicants should e-mail a submission (template is available on request) to femtech@theinnovationhub.com by 16 February 2009. Alternatively, go to http://www.theinnovationhub.com (click on Femtech entry form under the News heading).

The most appropriate applicants will be short-listed. These candidates will be interviewed in order to arrive at the final 20 successful applicants.

Should you be selected, you will be invited to participate in the Femtech Programme, which consists of a two-day “idea generation workshop”, to be held in Pretoria on 16 and 17 March, where you will be encouraged to think laterally and develop innovative solutions to national challenges. If the idea you arrive at presents a feasible business opportunity, you will be invited to attend two, three-day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) “high-intensity training workshops” that will be held in May and July respectively.

The workshops will help you refine your idea into a product/service, articulate the value proposition of your product/service, define your target market and how you will reach it, develop a suitable business model to generate income from your product, and project your financial performance and develop the key elements of a business plan.

Successful candidates will be invited to join the Maxum Business Incubator where they will be mentored and assisted in growing their businesses to sustainability, while enjoying all the benefits.

Apply now:

The technology environment has to date predominantly been male. So if you have always wanted to succeed in a man's world, then here's your chance.

For more information, contact Gopolang Setumo at +27 12 844 0031, or e-mail femtech@theinnovationhub.com.