Denis Opudo
Entrepreneurs from diverse disciplines have been invited by the Stellenbosch University LaunchLab to present their innovative ideas. The startup will also benefit from the funding amounting to R 50,000. The initiative marks the seventh LaunchLab program. It focuses on upcoming entrepreneurs to help them improve technological concepts and to validate their production process. Additionally, the program is playing a significant role in networking which allows startups to secure partner. The program is looking for enterprise ideas from the following areas, education, cleantech, smart cities, internet of things (IoT), safety and fintech. Additional discipline comprises of the blockchain, advanced manufacturing, insurance, social enterprise, agricultural and food innovations among others.
According to the LaunchLab CEO, Philip Marais, an extension of discipline this year will bring on board many startups. He added that the wide range will welcome several business-oriented startups to demonstrate their entrepreneurial ideas. It is, therefore, a good platform for startups to gain from available market opportunities. He noted that startups which make good use of corporate clients are much better than traditional based once. He also outlined the differences in relation to business growth and market accessibility and funding platforms.
In order to apply for the program, applicants are required to send online 3 minutes video explaining the general business idea. In addition, applicants are supposed to fill an entry form available in LaunchLab website. The online application closes on fourth May this year. The successful applicants will receive an email notification at the end of the same month. After passing application stage, startups will undergo further vetting to determine about ten to fifteen top performers. The winners will then be considered for incubation program. All the LaunchLab terms and conditions hold which are available to download here.
