Application Deadline: October 19, 2023
The SAIS Investment Readiness Programme (IRP) offers you a yearlong, tailor-made support programme to raise investments and scale up your business! Precondition is that your tech startup registered in Africa, works in Africa, and offers scalable, market-based solutions for agriculture, food or climate change. The Programme is available in English and French.
Requirements
To be eligible for the SAIS Investment Readiness Programme, you must meet the following conditions:
Legal Form
You must be registered and operate in Africa.
You must provide a certificate of registration.
Team (founders)
You must have a team of at least two people who work ideally full time for the startup.
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 or service that positively impacts society.
Your product must have a positive impact on the African AgTech or FoodTech sector, we specifically welcome applications from the livestock sector (vertical sectors that have an influence can be accepted like ClimateTech, eCommerce, FinTech, Logistics, EdTech, others).
Market access and traction
You must have launched your digital product at least six months before you submit your application to us.
Your startups must provide evidence of traction (customer base, first revenue).
Benefits
- Sessions of personalized coaching with local and international experts. These are tailored to your specific needs to develop and implement strategies for rapid growth.
- Access to individual online trainings structured around several key themes to develop your startupfurther, e.g., pitch training, growth strategy, data analytics & management, term sheet, valuation, market analysis, marketing & sales.
- Access to additional services to optimize certain key areas of your business we hold a specific budget that can cover, e. g. legal advice, online marketing, digital product optimization, design, coding and travel costs to conferences.
- Integrating you into ecosystems. We offer you the opportunity of using a local hub or office space, connect you with peers and support you in increasing your visibility and facilitate contacts with major players in the local, regional and international startup ecosystems.
- Access to our investor and partner network. By being part of our programme, you will be given the opportunity to meet the right people on regional, national, and international level to scale your business, either through potential investments or business partnerships.
- 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 startups through networking and peer to peer learning as well as increased visibility.
Timeline
- Mid of January to March – Define Development Plans
You will be paired with a navigator who serves as your main point of contact from the SAIS team. They will guide you through the various opportunities available in the programme. From January to March, we will focus on getting to know you. This will involve online interactions and, when possible, in-person meetings at your location. During this period, we will collaborate to outline a development plan for the coming months. Additionally, we will conduct joint online sessions to onboard you to the platforms we use throughout the SAIS IRP 2024.
- February – Kick-off at SAIStival 2024
Let’s get together! We annually organize a joint event called the SAIStival which takes place back-to-back with an industry event. We bring all new startups and alumni in one place; we believe that exchange among peers is very important. At the event, called “SAIStival” you will get the chance to connect with like-minded people, experts, partners, investors and the whole SAIS team. The travel costs will be covered by GIZ. We are very much looking forward to this event!
- March to September – Reaching Your Goals
During this period, you will fully concentrate on reaching the goals that you set with your navigators in the development plans. For that you will continuously work with the mentors, experts and partners of SAIS. During this time, you will already have the access to the investor and business partner network.
- September – Midterm Check-In
We will get together again and reflect your progress and set milestones for the upcoming and last period of the programme.
- September to February 2025 – Investor Meetings
After successfully working on your first set of goals from the development plans, we continue to work on the set milestones and start taking you on short trips to fairs, exhibitions and conferences to meet investors. Your navigator will help you to find the best fit for your startup and support you in making the right connections. It all ends in the SAIStival of 2025.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2024