Morning Startup’s Post

"The Power of Innovation! 💡 Innovation is the lifeblood of progress and growth. It's the driving force behind new discoveries, improved processes, and game-changing solutions. 🚀 Without innovation, we'd be stuck in a rut, repeating the same old methods and ideas. Innovation brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and creative solutions to the table. 🤔 The importance of innovation cannot be overstated. It: ✨ Drives economic growth and job creation ✨ Improves lives and solves real-world problems ✨ Fosters competitiveness and adaptability ✨ Enhances productivity and efficiency So, let's prioritize innovation and make it a part of our daily lives. Let's encourage creativity, take risks, and experiment with new ideas. 🎯 At IPHUB4YOUTHS, we're passionate about empowering young innovators and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality. Join us on this exciting journey! 🚀 #Innovation #IPHUB4YOUTHS"

So, in this video, I'm talking about how understanding landscapes is super important for making things happen, especially in Africa. It's pretty common to see founders spending or rather being put under a long time learning before they start making their ideas happen in the African startup world. In a market that's changing really fast and full of uncertainties, it's really important to test out your ideas as you learn. This way, investor money can go towards doing research, developing, building, and testing out minimum viable products (MVPs) instead of being used for programs that you can learn online. Do we really need to spend money on things like pitch deck development programs that go on for like 3 months when we could be using that time to see if an idea is actually doable? Of course, building capacity is super important, but we have to ask ourselves if it's really necessary after a certain point. How can we make sure we're giving just the right amount of help to founders in the startup world? B&B Global Investment, WISE Summit

Another HUGE opportunity to meet a new set of #investors https://lnkd.in/esJYQW4J I hope you are reading Hypepotamus to find what is happening in the South's innovation ecosystem

🇧🇪 Come join us at the European Angel Investment Summit in Brussels on October 15-16!  #EAIS24 is where connections flourish, expert knowledge is shared, and international deals get done. Connect and network with international investors and entrepreneurs who bring innovations to life. This year's summit will focus on: 💰 Past, Present, and Future of Angel Investing: Learn from the past to shape the future of angel investing and increase participation of women within the tech industry 💻 Deeptech: Leverage the capabilities of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and more when investing in startups that bring about generational changes and tackle gender biases. 🛡️ DefenceTech: Discover how governments are using the tech developed by DefenceTech startups and how you can invest in its dual-use capabilities 📢 Pitching showcase: Get introduced to generation defining startups from all over Europe as they pitch directly to you for seed equity investments.  🤝 Unique networking opportunities: With over 500 investors, founders, ecosystem stakeholders and policy makers from 50 countries strengthen their network. Join the innovators and leaders shaping tomorrow. Register now for #EAIS24 and make your mark. 🔗 Link in comments! 

Today, we focus on the conference co-organised with our partner organisation, Acted, on the Forum on September 17. Session translated in French The key issues of this round table: 🔎 How do you identify and address unique challenges within your communities, and what can we learn from these localized approaches? 📱 What role does technology (low and/or high tech) play in enabling and scaling local innovation to tackle global challenges, and can you provide examples of successful implementation of such technology? 🤝 How can local entrepreneurs effectively collaborate with larger organizations, governments, and NGOs to amplify their impact in tackling global challenges? 👉 Register: https://lnkd.in/eRpjqJkJ 🗣 With Jonathan Robinson - Impact Hub Network, Louise Block and Mai Baticulon - Acted, Sabokhat Dustova - ROST accelerator, Thurein Aung - Doh Eain, Kugarajeevan Sivapalan - Yarl IT Hub

When human progress is stifled and investment in new concepts is neglected, the impact is far-reaching. It doesn't just affect individuals directly involved; it hinders collective growth. Let's remember that supporting innovation isn't just beneficial for a few—it's essential for all of us. #innovation #progress #investment #growth

Looking for the right investors to fuel your vision? The SF Investor Mapping document is a powerful resource, connecting you with impact-driven investors aligned with sectors like agriculture, energy, fintech, and more. With insights into investment sizes, themes, and SDG-focused goals, it’s a must-have guide for startups and organizations aiming to create meaningful change. Ready to find your perfect match? Let’s explore! #InvestorMapping #ImpactInvesting #Sustainability #HanySewilam

Need some inspiration + hope? Check out these 15 extraordinary Canadian founders who are making the world a better place with their solutions for people + planet. #investinwomen #impactinvesting #entrepreneurs

What’s one question that nobody Googles? * * * "What’s the business case for funding a man-led startup?" You can search, but you won’t find much because it is a given. Yet, we had to spend a ton of ink to convince people "why should we invest in women-led startups", especially in science and tech sectors. While investing in women IS the right thing to do; it’s essential for human rights, social justice, and sustainable development. Women make up half of the population and hold half of its potential, yet they face greater hurdles in creating innovative ventures. Systemic barriers limit their access to investor networks and capital. When women founders pitch to VCs, they encounter unconscious gender biases. But the tide is turning. During a panel at the EquiLead Conference, Aakanksha Gulati highlighted the Women in India’s Startup Ecosystem 2023 report (link in comments), showing a rise in investment in women-led startups. Data shows that startups with at least one female founder outperform their male-dominated counterparts. They generate higher ROI and greater revenue. Additionally, women-led companies are more inclusive and more likely to address pressing social issues. The debate is over. It’s time to shift the narrative from "should we" to "how can we" support women entrepreneurs. The solution? A gender lens approach to investing. This means intentionally seeking out women-led ventures, challenging biases in the due diligence process, and providing women entrepreneurs with the support they need to thrive. MIT D-Lab and Intellecap had created practical tools to help investors move from intention to action in promoting gender equity, including strategies for inclusive sourcing, due diligence, and leveraging gender data to enhance investment outcomes. This toolkit helps investors move from intention to action in promoting gender equity. Are you or your organization investing in women-led startups? Share your thoughts on what works and what needs to be done. Meghana Rao | Archna Vyas | Seema Bhatia - Panthaki | Aakanksha Gulati | Anchal Kakkar | AVPN | ACT | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation #womenentrepreneurs #genderequality #investing #startup #entrepreneurship #business #leadership #innovation #LeadWithEquity #EquiLeadAnnualConference2024 #WomensLeadership

🌍 On Thursday I had the pleasure of chairing a brilliant panel at the GreenTech Calayst Conference talking about 'raising investment as a GreenTech founder' feat. Elizabeth Young of Par Equity, Stuart Ferguson of Sustainable Ventures and Sam Judge of PWF. Key takeaways on how to maximise your chances of success: 💪 Of course the market is challenging across the board at the moment but there are some real factors that should give us optimism 🌳 Greentech is proving resiliant and one of the most important growth markets for VC's. The sector is continuing to capture an increased % of total VC investment in UK / Europe 📜 Communication of value proposition is one of the biggest challenges for GreenTech founders - positioning your product/ services as a pain killer rather than a Vitamin i.e. why is this a 'must have' for your customers and the market now rather than a 'nice to have'? 💲 It isn't enough for a business to just have a positive impact on the environment - we are in a tough market that is placing a lot of emphasis on cost saving and brand protection - link your ROI specifically to this if possible 🗣 Investors simply use pitch decks as a basis of deciding whether they want a meeting so make sure you are spoonfeeding clear, concise key messages of the opportunity to them - e.g. use an exec summary at the start of your deck that focuses on the 5 M's (Market, Management Team, Machine/your product and why it wins, Momentum and Money/use of funds) 🕵♀️ Know your ideal investor and tailoring your pitch to who you are speaking with - be clear with what the assets of the business you have created are for what they are most likely to value : IP, revenue visability, customers, market leading Another fabulous event at Nexus Leeds organised by Georgia Halston and the Halston Group, part of Leeds Digital week! KPMG | Acceleris KPMG UK Patrick Molyneux Sarah Abrahams Nick Hawkins Jill Hilton Jasnam Ghudhail ASCI Alison White Sam Luckett