Seven new black-owned companies today graduated from the UUNET BandWidthBarn Launchpad Project after nine months of mentorship designed to give them the tools to stand on their own.
The Launchpad Project was started in August last year with the aim of helping start-up ICT companies get over the initial hurdles of product and service development and putting together a sound business plan.
The participating companies received mentorship and business coaching support, subsidised rent and office services, Internet connectivity and a business network facilitated by the UUNET BandWidthBarn.
As they have graduated and are regarded as fully-fledged companies, they will no longer receive the subsidised services.
Two of the companies were singled out for having obtained significant deals during their time with the project.
UniNet has obtained a R3 million contract from Knysna to make the Southern Cape municipality the first WiFi-enabled town in Africa. Malweli Rebelo, UniNet CFO, says the project should be completed by the end of September.
Knowledge Crucible MD Thembinkosi Semwayo says his company has been awarded a R700 000 contract by the Department of Forestry and Water Affairs to develop an online learning resource that should be online by the end of September.
Cape IT Initiative executive director Masedi Molosiwa says the Launchpad Project helps neutralise the four factors that limit the success of start-up companies: finance, education, culture and entrepreneurial capacity.
Molosiwa says in future the programme will be extended to 12 months, and coaches and mentors will be introduced from the beginning.
The companies that graduated today are: Delta Computer Solutions (data recovery services), iDJ (video jukeboxes to taverns and shabeens), JT IT Solutions (Web site design and software development), Knowledge Crucible (knowledge management software products and services), Rylurx IT (football domain development), Ubhedu Business Solutions (IT support services to small companies) and UniNet (a wireless Internet service provider).
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