Details for Startupbootcamp AfriTech’s global FastTrack Tour for 2019 has been confirmed and the search for top-performing disruptive startups seeking solutions for positive change in Africa is on.

Applications for each event close three days ahead of time – apply HERE.

Wednesday 6 February 2019, Cape Town – Startupbootcamp AfriTech is one of the most sought-after programmes for Africa-focused tech startups. In 2010, the Startupbootcamp programme was founded with a simple goal in mind: to support the world’s best innovators through all stages of growth. This led to the first-ever Africa-focused accelerator of its kind, namely Startupbootcamp AfriTech (SBC AfriTech), to launch in Cape Town in 2017.

In SBC AfriTech’s first two years, the twenty companies in the portfolio signed 52 pilots and commercial agreements with large corporations. In 2018, the programme was named the Top Accelerator on the continent by the Global Startup Awards.

Now, in its third consecutive year, SBC AfriTech is calling on high-growth startups in the tech industry to apply to a prestigious 3-month programme aimed at helping companies scale in the global market.

“Through Startupbootcamp’s expansion to numerous countries in Europe, Asia and America, and now Africa, it’s clear that the accelerator movement has caught on quickly, showing a demand for ongoing support in a globally growing entrepreneurial community,” says Startupbootcamp Founder and CEO, Philip Kiracofe.

“The SBC AfriTech FastTrack Tour for 2019 is an open canvas for forward-thinking startups to initiate a shift in traditional thinking while networking with hundreds of other innovative, like-minded people wanting to set new benchmarks in the African tech industry”, adds Nsovo Nkatingi, AfriTech Programme Director.

“Attending a FastTrack is useful for startups wishing to apply to the SBC AfriTech programme,” states Velani Mboweni, CEO of SBC AfriTech 2018 alumnus Lüla, “At the Cape Town FastTrack we engaged with corporate sponsors to the programme Old Mutual and Nedbank and engaged with them right from the get-go, which really gave us a leg-up in our SBC journey.”

Lula is a mobility-as-a-service startup and over the course of the 3 months spent at the SBC AfriTech accelerator, Lula completed 4 pilots in Cape Town with some of the biggest corporations in South Africa and is now raising its first formal investment round.

The SBC AfriTech FastTrack Tour for 2019 will cover 19 events in 14 countries.

Attending a FastTrack will boost your chances to joining SBC AfriTech’s highly-acclaimed and intensive three-month programme, by 20 percent. FastTracks are informal events hosted all over the world and the aim is for the SBC team, mentors and sponsors to have the opportunity to meet the most suitable early-stage companies interested in joining the 2019 programme. For each FastTrack, the top ten startups to apply will receive instant feedback from a panel of industry mentors, be able to network with the SBC investment team and learn more about the SBC AfriTech.

The accelerator is anchored and endorsed by leading corporate sponsors Old Mutual, RCS, BNP Paribas Personal Finance, Nedbank and PwC that will support and grow the program and selected startups. Leaders from these corporates will be present at the FastTrack events to engage and mentor.

Interested startups can click here to find the FastTrack nearest them and submit your application.

Applications to the FastTracks is currently open and applications to join the final accelerator will open on 20 February 2019.

To apply to the FastTrack nearest you, please visit http://bit.ly/ftapply19

FastTrack Tour Dates for 2019:

• 19 February 2019 Johannesburg
• 23 February 2019 Nairobi
• 25 February 2019 Dar es Salaam
• 18 March 2019 Kigali
• 20 March 2019 Kampala
• 22 March 2019 Nairobi
• 8 April 2019 Accra
• 10 April 2019 Dakar
• 25 April 2019 Casablanca
• 27 April 2019 Lagos
• 28 April 2019 Lagos
• 30 April 2019 Abidjan
• 30 April 2019 Durban
• 3-4 May 2019 Johannesburg (Hackathon)
• 7 May 2019 Gaborone
• 9 May 2019 Harare
• 14 May 2019 Zurich
• 17 May 2019 Paris (VivaTech)

 

Beyond the FastTracks

Startupbootcamp AfriTech sees the potential of African startups solving real-world problems with disruptive technology. As part of a global family of industry-focused accelerators, the team believes in the power of Africa. In 2018, 20 percent of the number of applications received across the Startupbootcamp global family of accelerators came from African-based startups. Over the past seven years, the United States has been the leader with the highest number of funding applications submitted, followed by India, United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Africa, Italy and Mexico.

“Another of the aims of SBC is to support gender- and ethnically diverse teams at any stage in their growth”, says Zachariah George, CIO and Co-Founder of SBC AfriTech, “In 2018, 30 percent of the teams who went through the programmes were led by female founders – a 7 percent increase from 2017. Additionally, SBC AfriTech is the only accelerator of its kind to be led by a powerhouse of females, seasoned in startup coaching – Nsovo Nkatingi.”

SBC AfriTech is focused on high-growth startups in Big Data, Dashboard & Predictive Analysis, Process Automation & Simulation, Machine Learning, Content Aggregation & Knowledge Management, Digital Customer Journey, HealthTech, Sensors, Health Data Analytics, IOT & Asset Tracking, Distributed Ledgers, Digital Identity Management & Authentication, FinTech for Financial Management & Financial Inclusion, P2P and Sharing Economy, On-Demand Pricing, Usage-Based Solutions, Smart Mobility & Open Transportation Networks, RetailTech, Augmented Reality, Computer Vision and Sensors.

“The greatest highlight of attending SBC AfriTech in 2018, was just having that cushioning through mentorship and access to an ecosystem that we would normally not get,” states Kamogelo Kekana, co-Founder and COO of Akiba Digital, SBC Alumnus 2018, “For us, SBC has tremendously accelerated our business. We’ve forged partnerships with corporates that wouldn’t previously have taken us seriously – so it’s given us significant credibility.”

Global sponsors include Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Cisco, with service partners The Loudhailer, Brevity Law, Cloudworx, the Inner City Ideas Cartel and VC4A.

For more information about SBC AfriTech, visit www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/afritech and follow @SBCAfriTech on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

or more information about Startupbootcamp, visit www.startupbootcamp.org and follow @Sbootcamp on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, flickr and Instagram.

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For more information on Startupbootcamp AfriTech or this release, please contact:

Mika Stanvliet | 081 534 6237 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Innovator Trust, an enterprise development organisation, and the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), Africa’s oldest incubator, are calling on Cape Town-based growth-stage ICT entrepreneurs to join the intensive 2-year enterprise development programme.

The ICT sector has gone from strength to strength and is one of the fastest-growing industries on the African continent. Yet African entrepreneurs are still finding it a difficult business landscape to navigate. That is why The Innovator Trust and CiTi, through exposure, training and mentorship, now aim to equip entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector with tools that will keep them on track, assist them to achieve their goals and create tech leaders of the future.

ICT entrepreneurs in need of mentorship, skills development and business support who have been operating for more than 2 years and are fiercely committed to growing their business, can now apply to the prestigious 2-year Innovator Trust programme, co-developed and run by CiTi at the Woodstock Bandwidth Barn and remotely in Cape Town.

Applications close on 22 February and the selected candidates will be announced on 4 March. 

The Innovator Trust programme aims to support the: increase annual turnover, equip businesses with the necessary accreditation to remove red tape, as well as increase profitability and number of employees.

Get ready to move the dial on your business.

Celebrating its 20th year of supporting entrepreneurs, CiTi currently runs a number of incubation programmes from idea to growth stage. After a very successful first cohort of the programme, completed in 2018, CiTi confirmed a second collaboration with the Innovator Trust to support further Cape Town businesses over the next two years. Applicants need to be in “ICT”, but this has included a broad range of focusses in the past, from IT recruitment, network security to cabling service provider and software solutions. The programme, designed by CiTi and Innovator Trust, is not to be taken lightly. Monthly training, mentorship sessions with industry experts, and a strong focus on technical improvements means a substantial time and focus commitment by the entrepreneur. But this intensive design enables significant business progression over the two years. 

“Once the entrepreneurs who take part in our Enterprise Development programmes become more established, they turn their focus to growth. This accelerator is especially for entrepreneurs who’ve created businesses with high-growth potential and provides them with the skills to scale at speed and responsibly,” says Tashline Jooste, CEO of the Innovator Trust.

Cape Town was recently confirmed as the Tech Hub of Africa, by an Endeavor Insight Report commissioned by CiTi and partners, presenting growing opportunities for those businesses serious about growth, and with the right support.

“I believe strongly that ICT entrepreneurs are going to be critical to South Africa’s economic growth, which is why we need to focus on equipping these businesses with the skills they need to grow, create jobs and stimulate our economy,” adds Jooste.

In order to be considered for the programme, prospective applicants must meet the following criteria:

A company defined in South Africa as an SMME, QSE or EME;

Must be operational and trading for two or more years;

The business should be at least 51% black-owned;

A minimum Level 1 – 4 BBBEE status according to the DTI or ICT Codes;

The business must be a registered company with key focus in ICT and be based in Cape Town and surrounding areas.

In addition, applicants will need to supply copies of their company registration, company profile, and annual financial statements along with their BEE certificate and IDs with their applications.

“We had a fantastic experience on the Innovator Trust programme, perhaps most beneficial was the advice and mentorship on our financial management, up-skilling of our team, and establishing a 3-year budget and growth plan for the business. Our advice to entrepreneurs considering the course is “JUST DO IT!!!” The skills and knowledge you gain are invaluable and put us on a serious growth trajectory.” states Jennifer Classen, Founder of Ngaphaya Y2K10, and Participant in the 2015 – 2018 Innovator Trust programme.

Ready to grow your business? Learn more about the programme and submit your application HERE.

{pp}In breaking news today, the PM Academy (www.pmacademy.co.za) announced all future PRINCE2 training courses will be presented based on the PRINCE2:2009 refresh version.

The 2009 refresh version was launched by the APMG on the 16 June 2009.

PM Academy also offers a conversion course from the 2005 version to the new 2009 version.

We invite all PRINCE2 students to visit our website and register with us to attend the exiting new project management courses. Alternatively, contact us on + 27 (011) 976 2776 to discuss your unique training requirements.