BIRD Incubator’s Post

Grateful for the invaluable time, guidance and support from Turtle Venture's Founder & CEO Saraban Tahura Turin Apu and Co- Founder & CSO Anowar Sayef Anik Vai! (Forbes 30 under 30, Asia 2023) With their expertise and encouragement, we're excited to embark on this journey to grow our business. Their belief in our business plan fuels our determination to succeed. A heartfelt thanks to Wahid Islam Sir for his unwavering trust and support in our journey ! 🚀  #BusinessGrowth #Teamwork"

Grateful for the invaluable time, guidance and support from Turtle Venture's Founder & CEO Saraban Tahura Turin Apu and Co- Founder & CSO Anowar Sayef Anik Vai! (Forbes 30 under 30, Asia 2023) With their expertise and encouragement, we're excited to embark on this journey to grow our business. Their belief in our business plan fuels our determination to succeed. A heartfelt thanks to Wahid Islam Sir for his unwavering trust and support in our journey ! 🚀 #BusinessGrowth #Teamwork"

At Laconia, mentorship is woven into the fabric of who we are. As Jeffrey Silverman shares, the Venture Cooperative program is about so much more than venture capital. It’s about fostering growth, breaking barriers, and sharing knowledge—no matter your location, background, or experience level. The ripple effect of insight and guidance, both personally and professionally, is immeasurable. We’re proud to continue shaping the next generation of leaders through the Venture Cooperative. As always, you can apply for our next Venture Cohort here: https://lnkd.in/gHAXPgTk

At Laconia, mentorship isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. From guiding founders as they scale, to supporting our LPs, to sharing insights with people curious about venture capital across the globe, we see mentorship as a cornerstone of the venture ecosystem. Giving back and helping others grow is deeply embedded in our DNA, and it’s a responsibility we take seriously. Whether you’re an aspiring VC, a seasoned entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, we believe in fostering collaboration and sharing what we’ve learned along the way. #VentureCapital #Mentorship #Collaboration

"The Pidgin Pitch Experience".. Have you ever pitched in pidgin before? So this is the video I promised to share though. Was the pidgin Relatable? Should I have continued with the pidgin instead of the switch at the last part? Have you ever pitch present a product with Pidgin? If yes what was your experience like? "Hey LinkedIn family! So on my last post, I said I was going to post a video of me pitching a product at Kora with my team for a Hackathon with "Pidgin". So I could not get the starting clip, as I noticed there was no sound in it. Ever wondered how confident and bold one can be while pitching a product? I took it to the next level by pitching in Nigerian Pidgin - and the crowd was WOWED, because nobody expected it lol! Now, let me briefly introduce you to my innovative product, "Alertify". Watch the video to learn more and share your thoughts! Your feedback and support mean everything! #Alertify #PidginPitch #Innovation #SafetySolutions #NaijaTech #PresentationSkills #PidginPitch #ProductPitch #Nigeria #Innovation"

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 5 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴" thought Kostya before the mid demo-day pitch training organized by AceON Accelerator Martina Mandáková Petra Konarikova 🙏 But the ZAKA VC represented by Ján Kasper, PhD., MBA, PhD. Natalia Mikusova и Andrej Petrus , says: 𝘒𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘢, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯; 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 2 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴! Indeed, in the VC world at the pre-seed stage, hardly anyone will give you more than 2 minutes, so you need to make the most of the allocated time. Well, sounds like a plan! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 2 MINUTES OF SPECIFICS AND NOT A MINUTE MORE. #VC #PitchTraining #StartupLife 🚀

KBW Ventures portco NoorNation chosen as one of 10 startups to take part in the Climate Innovation Accelerator Bootcamp staged by the World Food Programme in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation. Launched to prioritize climate action for the most vulnerable populations in fragile regions, this year, the Bootcamp focuses on advancing impactful solutions in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Part 1: Since starting university, I’ve been in business. I was building a paint startup, back then, I knew nothing about investors, funding, or anything like that. In 2017, I began applying to the Tony Elumelu Foundation, but I didn’t fully understand the process. Each time, I’d get eliminated in the first round and never make it far. This continued until 2022, when I finally made it to the pitching stage, only to be eliminated after that round. I was so close! Those experiences, though, taught me a lot. The real turning point came during my NYSC in Anambra State, at the NYSC camp. Access Bank Plc organized an entrepreneurial challenge where each platoon selected three members to join a one-week accelerator, after which we had to submit a business proposal.The top ten proposals would win prizes, and the top five would then pitch for a chance to receive funding. My platoon chose me and two other women as representatives. I wasn’t sure why they picked me, but maybe it was because I often mentioned that I had a pilot paint factory. After the accelerator, we had five days to submit our proposals. I wrote a proposal on a biogas concept I named "Duke Biogas," aiming to produce cooking gas from cow dung. I relied heavily on Tony Elumelu Foundation’s proposal-writing guidelines and managed to complete it in three days. Without expecting much, I submitted it. To my surprise, my proposal was rated the best out of thirty submissions from the representatives across all platoons. In fact, I was the only one who made it to the top ten from the representatives in my platoon, even though my platoon officer had doubted me at first. I couldn’t believe it. But then I realized that I had to pitch next, and I was incredibly nervous. When the day came, I finally went through with it, standing in front of 1,300 corps members to pitch Duke Biogas. It was my first in-person pitch. I gave it my best and ended up at third place,winning $400. Thank you, Access Bank Plc. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. After camp, we completed a remote business training sponsored by Access through Youth Arise. (Access Bank, I’m sorry,I ended up using the prize money for something else!) Back in Anambra, I stayed at the NCCF house, where I met a fellow corps member named Simone from Benue State. We became close quickly. He told me how his family had built its fortune through selling farm produce, which gave me an idea. In Anambra, about 60-80% of the food is imported from northern and middle-belt states in Nigeria, so there was a huge opportunity. I partnered with Simone to start "Duke Foods and Logistics," using the Access Bank prize money to fund it. We sourced food from places like Benue etc, and set up two depots in Anambra: one at Sammy Sparkle Plaza near Kenneth Dike Memorial School in Obinagu, and the other in Abagana, opposite Union Bank. The business took off, and people would joke that we came to Anambra to do business, not serve...

Why YSO? 🚀🚀 “I perceive YSO as a great initiative mainly because of its hands-on character. I feel like it utilizes a very effective learning method which connects project based learning with constant feedback.” Need we say more as to why we picked Julian Drotkiewicz to be one of our mentors and why he aligns with our vision of youth space innovation? Follow us to get an update on Julian’s growth at the end of YSO! And comment “🥳” for info on how to become a YSOInnovate mentee!

Inspired by a Ezz El Din Osama l MBA l CFA Level l Candidate post calling out accelerators and incubators for "betting on winning horses," I've been reflecting on my own observations. For years, I've seen scaleups and Series A startups in programs meant for early-stage ventures. While it's easy to point fingers, the situation is likely more nuanced than it appears. On one hand, the allure of mature startups for incubators and accelerators is understandable. They often face pressure for quick results, and established companies with existing traction provide a faster path to success stories and potential investor appeal. Moreover, a shift in focus towards later-stage ventures might be a deliberate strategy for some, aiming for greater impact or financial returns. On the other hand, we can't ignore the perspective of these later-stage startups themselves. They might seek specific expertise, a credibility boost, or access to valuable networks and potential exits. The structured learning environment and talent development opportunities offered by accelerators can also be appealing, even for experienced teams. However, a crucial question remains: if incubators and accelerators prioritize later-stage companies, where will the truly early-stage innovators find support? Are we, as an ecosystem, inadvertently stifling the messy, uncertain beginnings of entrepreneurship by neglecting the very companies that need these programs the most? Additionally, factors such as misaligned incentives or even a lack of qualified early-stage applicants could be contributing to this trend. It's essential to acknowledge these complexities while remaining mindful of the core mission of incubators and accelerators: nurturing innovation from its earliest sparks. I don't have all the answers, and I might not be asking all the right questions either, but I believe it's time for an honest conversation within the startup community. Let's re-examine the role of the ecosystem stakeholders, ensuring they balance the needs of both early-stage and growth-stage companies. #startup #ecosystem #incubators #accelerators #innovation