Are you running a tech start-up and want to challenge the status quo of the agriculture and food tech industry? Do you have a solution that makes the industry more sustainable and profitable while at the same time empowering value chain actors? Do you want support to learn how to raise investment, reach more customers, and have a more significant impact?
Then this unique (and free!) acceleration programme is for you!
What the Program Offers:
The SAIS Investment Readiness Programme (IRP) offers African tech start-ups from the agriculture, food, and livestock sectors a year-long tailor-made support program to make you investor ready and scale up your business! (Available in English and French)
Regular sessions of personalized coaching with local and international experts
Tailored to your specific and individual needs, during which strategies and measures for rapid growth will be developed and implemented.
Access to online training (tailored)
Structured around several key themes to develop your start-up further, e. g. Pitch Training, Growth Strategy, Data Analytics & Management, Term Sheet, Valuation, Market Analysis, Marketing & Sales, and so on.
Integrating you into a local hub (optional)
To get you a workplace for 6 months and facilitate contacts with major players in the local start-up scene, if needed.
Access to additional services
to optimize certain key areas of your business, e. g. legal advice, online marketing, digital product optimization, design, and coding.
Access to the GIZ network
of our global presence, local expertise, far-reaching networks, and years of experience working with the private sector, investors, and business partners. The network can help you to improve the visibility and contacts with start-ups nationally and internationally through participation in national, regional, and international events dedicated to African entrepreneurs.
Add-on: Programme for Female Leaders In addition to the above-mentioned, we offer special support for female founders and women in leading positions of the start-ups:
Our Female Leader Circle meets with the aim of bringing women in leadership positions together, networking and learning from each other. Input sessions on topics that are of special interest for female leaders serve as a starting point for discussion.
A bi-annual Female Founders Award recognizes the achievement of female founder.
ELIGIBILITY:
Legal form
You have to be registered and operate in Africa
You have to provide a certificate of registration
Team (founders)
You must have a founding team of at least two people who work ideally full time for the start-up
Your founding and management team should have entrepreneurial and technical experience in their area of operation
Digital product/service
You must have a viable digital product that positively impacts the incomes of its customers
Your product must have a positive impact on the African AgTech, FoodTech or livestock sector (vertical sectors that have an influence can be accepted like eCommerce, FinTech, Logistics, EdTech etc)
Market access and traction
You must have launched your digital product at least six months before the application period
Your start-up has to provide evidence of traction (customer base, first revenue)
Business model
Your start-up should have an easily understandable and convincing business model.
Your start-up should have a clear statement of the problem, clear digital solution, clear customer segment, and clear revenue stream.
Add-ons (But not musts)
You have women in your founding team or as senior managers
You or one of your founding team members has an IT background
You and your founding team members have previous start-up experience
With your product you target a vulnerable group of customers
