The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) has launched a local version of its Start-up Huddle, a programme designed to educate, engage and connect entrepreneurs with global experts.
Starting last week Thursday at start-up campus 22 ON SLOANE in Johannesburg, the 12-month programme offers disruptive start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) innovative turnkey solutions to help them scale (from the initial idea all the way to commercialisation), funding opportunities and access to markets.
The weekly workshops aim to nurture the entrepreneurial mindset, ensure business sustainability, and help entrepreneurs develop innovative skills using the latest technology.
The sessions, according to GEN, will be hosted by local innovators, educators and investors as well as a global network of entrepreneurial leaders. Technology entrepreneurs who will be hosting the sessions include Enrico Ferigolli, co-founder of Bottles, an on-demand alcohol delivery app and Loyiso Vatsha, co-founder of the Mapha Food Sharing app, who will be sharing insights, trends and opportunities in the technology and innovation space.
Joining these two start-ups are Andrew Le Roux, chief business transformation officer at MMI Holdings, and Jeremy Bauman, senior consultant of Early Stage Financing at World Bank, who will be among 100 experts and consultants who will be hosting the workshops.
Leading the Start-up Huddle initiative is Alesimo Mwanga, research director at 22 ON SLOANE, who says that aspiring and existing entrepreneurs have a lot to benefit from the Start-up Huddle.
"Our first huddle looks into the trends and opportunities of lifestyle innovation. As Africa emerges as the next big market, with a population of over 1 billion, there is an abundance of exciting opportunities for lifestyle entrepreneurs."
The weekly themes, according to GEN, consist of Design and Innovation for entrepreneurs; Blue Sky Innovation and Creativity; Doing Business in Africa and Access to Markets, among others.
"The global culture and premise of a start-up huddle is to create a supportive, neutral and comfortable space, which welcomes entrepreneurs to be totally transparent about their businesses and the challenges they face. With local founders, innovators, educators and investors present, as well as a global network of entrepreneurial leaders, this weekly event provides a unique, interactive and collaborative platform to strengthen the start-up community and help sustain its success," notes GEN.
The programme, which started inviting entries from a wide range of local SMEs last year, received over 300 entries and has selected only a handful to participate, adds GEN.
The 22 ON SLOANE Start-up Huddle theme for March will focus on discussions that will be held at the upcoming 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Congress, which takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, a start-up hub that is both an economic and cultural cornerstone of Europe and Asia.
Although 22 ON SLOANE will be sending a few start-ups to attend the congress, the huddle aims to provide an opportunity for start-ups that cannot attend to still be a part of the conversations, notes GEC.
Every year, the GEC brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, researchers, policymakers and other start-up champions from over 170 countries to identify new ways of helping founding entrepreneurs start and scale their new ventures. At the global week-long GEC, delegates can network and make new connections, gain insights, access the latest research and leave ready to renew their programmes, policy ideas and founder skills.
A similar programme which recently opened applications for 2018 is the Venture Incubation Programme, which is run by Solution Space at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business.
Late last year, Telkom subsidiary BCX partnered with Wits University's Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct to create an enterprise development initiative that will see tech start-ups receiving both financial and non-financial support.
The programme, which opened entries in January, aims to support tech entrepreneurs to ideate their concept and develop their business plans.
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