Simon T.’s Post

I had a wonderful evening last week, at Techpoint Africa Pitch Friday! I learned tons from the "Anatomy of a Winning Startup Idea" panel with Nneka Eze of VestedWorld & Babatunde Akin Moses of Sycamore.NG which include; 1️⃣Not all startups need VC backing. 2️⃣Don’t be too focused on a particular solution to solve the problem. 3️⃣Be market-driven. Prioritize solving real customer problems over chasing trends or specific solutions. 4️⃣Embrace experimentation.Test your product with a small target group and gather feedback to iterate. 5️⃣Competitive advantage is key. if your idea has competition, identify your unique selling proposition. 6️⃣Don't build only for a small niche group e.g the rich upper class- aim for a scalable market segment, like the middle class (which is much larger in Nigeria). Kelechi Achinonu from HiiL | User-friendly Justice presented their amazing vision and their search for startups to join their Justice Accelerator program. If you're building a product that aligns with this mission, definitely check it out! This could be a fantastic opportunity to accelerate your impact💯 The best part of the evening was seeing founders pitch their ideas! Witnessing these passionate entrepreneurs face tough questions on revenue, market validation, and business models from fellow founders created an amazing learning environment. 💫 If you're building a product, consider attending the next Pitch Friday. It's a fantastic opportunity to refine your pitch, get valuable feedback, and increase your chances of success.❗❗ #TechpointAfrica #PitchFriday #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Learning

Do you know of a startup shaping Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape? Nominations for the 4th edition of the Yale Africa Startup Review are open! Follow this link to nominate early-stage ventures with African co-founders that primarily operate in or serve the African market. bit.ly/yasr #YASR30 #YASR2024 #NominateInnovation #AfricanStartups #AfricanEntrepreneurship 💼🚀

Last weekend, at the African Startup Africa. These are some of the things I learned. As a startup founder regarding investors as service providers rather than customers is very crucial. 2. It's essential for both founders and investors to navigate the landscape wisely, considering the spotlight on Africa, particularly Nigeria. 3. Founders should explore diverse revenue streams for their startups, offering flexibility and sustainability. 4. Implement organizational structure in your startup, no matter how modest, to streamline all aspects of your operations as a founder. 5. Ensure your vision and mission are crystal clear and concise. This clarity enables investors to grasp the purpose and solution your startup offers. The picture attached is my new friend whom I met at the event. @Laraba #ASF#techevent#startup#founder

This is neither an ad 🚫nor a testimonial 🚫; it’s just an appreciation post 🙏. As a former founder, I feel the need to thank this “powerful duo” for what they are doing to Romanian startup ecosystem and how they have helped me to grow. ————————————————————- Daniel Dumitrescu, PhD. & Diana DUMITRESCU, PhD. are two of the most prominent figures of Romanian startup ecosystem that not only instilled in founders important knowledge through a rigorous acceleration program but also helped them to expand their network, get funding and clinch commercial agreements. ——————————————————————- Always great to catch up with you guys and learn. As an alumnus of your program InnovX BCR , I will always feel the need to give back to your community. —————————————————————— #acceleration #startup #impact

It’s exciting and an honour to be part of the amazing team that organized the recently concluded #innovatenigeria conference 2024. A big shoutout to Henry Ogbuagu Adedamola Giwa Nwanne Nwonwu (The Masterminds). The goal of the conference is simple - to start and deepen the conversation around corporate innovation in Nigeria and unlock local capital for startups in Nigeria. (Corporate innovation can be defined as the process of big businesses implementing new innovation opportunities into their products existing business models.) A typical startup event in Nigeria brings together startups and ecosystem enablers. In some cases, Investors and few government officials. Corporates are rarely in the room; you can look back and think about the profile of people who attended the last event you participated. Here are the key stakeholders that typically make up a thriving startup ecosystem: Startups Investors Ecosystem support organizations Government Academia Corporates So it’s very intentional for us to include this piece and bring together all other important stakeholders that make a thriving startup ecosystem in one room. So we set out to organize the largest corporate innovation conference in Nigeria with the theme -Accelerating Business Transformation in the Age of AI. …….continue reading the article here https://bit.ly/3uFhbiM

Interested in the World of Startups? 🚀 Want to learn from founders like Africa's only 2x unicorn founder, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, or Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani, who sold her first startup to Mastercard? Join us for CatalyzU's inaugural How to Startup Program, in partnership with Future Africa. Get exposure to & learn from leading startup founders and VCs on how to best build your business and avoid the mistakes they made. Find out more at the link below ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dWrHYR-h cc: Luke, Anthea, Benjamin, Mathew, V. Chinyere, Jonathan, Arinze, Ifeoluwa, Ismail

Do any of this struggles resonate with you? Do you feel your current business structure cannot accommodate an expansion? Then this Masterclass is for you Do miss an opportunity to get your Structure set for an expansion. Its steadiness is the key to any expansion goal This class has been made available to you for FREE by our partners Nnanke Essien, MBA , CEO, The Sisa Method, Adaobi Whitney Ossai, COO Elvaridah , Just Omomo Ibe , Lead Consultant @ The Just Ibe Company and The Association of African Startups (TAAS AFRICA) Hence you have no excuse not to attend #TAASAfrica #africanstartups #africanentrepreneurs #Africanstartups #businessstructures

🚨Grant Opportunity for Entrepreneurs in Africa🚨 🚀 Founders Factory Africa Gen F Incubator: Turning Ideas into Impactful Ventures Are you an exceptional founder or aspiring entrepreneur with a vision to create meaningful change in Africa? Look no further! The Gen F Entrepreneur In Residence (EIR) Initiative**, powered by Founders Factory Africa (FFA), is here to support you on your startup journey. What is Gen F? - Gen Fis designed for visionary founders who want to build, test, and validate their ideas. - It's a 12-week sprint that transforms startup concepts into tangible ventures. - We provide an experimentation budget and access to experts to help you launch your idea. - Plus, you'll qualify to pitch for up to $250,000 in further funding to turn your vision into reality. Who is Gen F for? 1. Exceptional Founders: Whether you're a former startup founder, domain expert, or corporate professional, if you're passionate about solving African problems, Gen F is for you. 2. Tech Innovators: If you're building tech solutions to tackle Africa's largest challenges, Gen F provides the support you need. 3. Market Gap Detectives: Entrepreneurs with a keen eye for local market gaps and a desire to create systemic impact will thrive in Gen F. How to Apply: 1. Fill out the application form to share your concept and background. 2. Engage in an exploratory chat to assess founder/market fit. 3. Participate in a panel interview with FFA members to dive deeper into your idea. Funding and Support: - Competitive budget: We provide a once-off budget for market validation experiments. - Expert guidance: Access our team of experts to refine and validate your concept. Ready to turn your startup vision into reality? Apply now for the Gen F EIR Initiative: https://lnkd.in/gkhRqfTe 🌐 Learn more about Gen F: [Founders Factory Africa] 📞 Contact: +087 702 7991 #GenF #StartupJourney #AfricanInnovation #Entrepreneurship #startup #business #funding

Our London Immersion Trip has come to a successful close! 🎉 Over the past week, our founders engaged in insightful sessions, hands-on mentorship, and valuable networking opportunities. Every moment was filled with learning and growth, from investment readiness, fundraising, organisational design, governance and executive coaching workshops, strategic discussions, and global events/ecosystem mixers. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible founders, mentors, partners, and hosts, including Flourish Ventures, Wimbart, HoaQ, Stride.VC, London Africa Network, Africa Tech Summit and Umusa Consulting Ltd, for making this trip impactful and memorable. We’re excited to see how our founders will apply these insights to their ventures. If you're an entrepreneur looking to take your startup to the next level, don’t miss out - apply now at madica.vc! Ameya Upadhyay Lisa Mikkelsen Ravi Kaushik Danielle Dodoo Tasneem Karodia David Z. Brett Thompson Peter Ndiang'ui Lesley M. Chidalu Onyenso Wendy Hoffman Isis Nyong'o Madison Emmanuel Adegboye Brenda Wangari Francis Vesta (FMVA) Shamsa M. Andrew Fassnidge Lauren Adair Mark Abel Mugenwa Robina Lamche-Brennan Yewande Odumosu Joe K. Lisa Mikkelsen Ramona Fellermeier Ann de Passos Alma Karibo #FounderImmersion #TechInnovation #FounderSupport #Networking #VCProgram #StartupSupport #AfricanTech #LondonTech #InvestInAfrica #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Growth #StartupLife #TechStartups #GlobalTech #Mentorship #InvestmentReady #ScaleUp #BusinessGrowth

As we bid farewell to February, it's time to embrace March 2024 as the month you elevate your entrepreneurial game!  Registration is now open for the FI South Africa Winter 2024 program! Founder Institute South Africa is unveiling a new cohort, and this is an opportunity you won't want to miss!  The program is tailored to support founders in launching, scaling, and preparing for funding. Founders get support specifically designed to address their unique business challenges. No matter what stage you're in, in the startup lifecycle, our doors are open to you! What Awaits You: * Seasoned Mentors * Realistic Experience Mapping * Dedicated Facilitators What You Should Expect To Work On: The Vision: Craft a compelling picture of your startup's future. The Team: Showcase your team's expertise, commitment, and suitability for your startup. Product-Market Fit: Prove the existence of a substantial market for your product. Strategic Blueprint: Outline your path to success by developing a winning marketing strategy, business model, and revenue generation plan. The Ask: Clearly articulate your funding needs and prepare for funding. Ready to propel your startup to new heights? Don't miss out on the opportunity to apply for our upcoming cohort!  Let's transform your startup dreams into reality. Apply now at https://fi.co/south_africa and become part of the world's most proven network for turning ideas into fundable startups!  #StartupSuccess #Entrepreneurship #FounderInstituteSA #FISAWinter2024