The developers of South Africa’s first startup survey Seed Academy today announced it has launched in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In a statement made available to Innovation Village, the academy also announced it is offering more than R2,4 million of sponsored training available for early stage tech and women entrepreneurs.
It said applications are open with courses starting regularly.
Seed Academy provides fast-track and practical training and mentoring to startups and early phase entrepreneurs. The focus is on the tech space but other ideas which are scalable are also considered. Seed Academy is also strongly committed to the development of women entrepreneurs.
Lara Rosmarin, CEO of Seed Academy, said: “We provide practical training by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, targeting their specific needs to help them realise their idea and grow their business. We want our participants to succeed, so our relationship continues up to 18 months after the course ends. We create course content around an entrepreneur’s specific needs. The material is neither theoretical nor academic and the training is carried out by entrepreneurs who have built their own businesses. They know what works.”
The practical sessions are presented once a week over ten weeks between and 6pm and 9pm, as not to interfere with an entrepreneur’s working day.
“Throughout the programme we aim to nurture, develop and train the skill sets mind sets, attitudes and behaviours of potential high growth entrepreneurs and provide them with access to their next growth checkpoints. These include personal and leadership development, sound business skills, a business plan and pitching skills,” Rosmarin added.
Commenting, Jermain Kallideen, CEO of Kallideen Technologies who attended Seed Academy, “I would strongly recommend Seed Academy to people at an early stage of their business. The programme helped my business dramatically. Six months after completion, Seed Academy arranged for me to pitch to Microsoft BizSpark which I got into. Microsoft has introduced me to critical contacts and we are selling more thanks to Seed Academy.”
Nonqaba Stamper of FundBabies who also completed the training comments: “I met other entrepreneurs facing many of the same challenges that I faced. We were also guided by other entrepreneurs. The course highlighted many aspects that new entrepreneurs don’t know about.”
