Savant

🚀 Applications are Open! The Savant Build Cohort 3 is designed to empower Africa's deep-tech pioneers. This 6-month programme offers investment-readiness support, market access, and tailored mentorship for founders dedicated to sustainable innovation. 🌍 Key Highlights: 🔹 Access to Africa's top investors, including Demo Day & equity investment opportunities 🔹Market expansion through strategic partnerships 🔹Tailored support for scaling and impact If you're a pre-seed or seed-stage deep-tech founder, apply now and scale with Savant! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dYqV3rQa #SavantBuildProgramme

🚴♂️ Exciting news! Stroom e-Cargo Bikes, a participant in the Savant Build Programme 2.0, has now secured funding through the P4G Partnerships Grant! This innovative green-economy company is transforming last-mile delivery in South Africa with lightweight, durable cargo e-bikes specifically designed for our unique local terrain. 🌍 By focusing on eco-friendly transportation, Stroom e-Cargo Bikes empowers micro enterprises in South African townships to overcome challenges posed by traditional delivery vehicles. Their locally manufactured e-bikes are tailored to navigate narrow streets and tough conditions, making them the perfect solution for urban logistics. 💡 Stroom e-Cargo Bikes is not just improving delivery capabilities; they are also promoting zero-emission transportation and fostering economic empowerment in the communities they serve. We’re proud to support Stroom e-Cargo Bikes as they lead the charge in sustainable urban logistics! Read more: https://lnkd.in/d_uer3ws   #SavantBuildProgramme

🌱 We’re excited to announce the partnership between Kulu Eco-Services and the Savant Technology Incubator, supported by P4G Partnerships! Kulu Eco-Services is transforming waste management in South Africa by leveraging smart technology to process organic waste into renewable fuels and bioenergy. With 122 million tons of waste generated annually and only 10% of this being recycled, this partnership aims to address this significant environmental challenge. 🚀 As part of the P4G Partnerships grant, Savant is excited to welcome Kulu Eco-Services into our Build Programme, for 2025; our flagship 6-month intensive designed to enhance investment readiness and scale impact in the green economy. 👉 Applications for the 2025 Savant Build Programme Are Open! This initiative is dedicated to fostering innovation and sustainability in the green economy, and we’re proud to support exceptional startups that are driving transformative change. Through the partnership between Savant, Kulu Eco-Services and P4G we hope to facilitate the growth of innovative waste-to-energy solutions, creating jobs and advancing a greener economy while creating significant impact for both the environment and our local community. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dA5U6b8D

Savant Build Programme company, Stroom e-Cargo Bikes takes International Cargo Bike Festival in Utrecht, NL! As the only e-cargo company from the African continent at the festival, their presence marks a transformative shift in the industry, showcasing Africa’s potential to lead in sustainable transportation solutions on a global scale. Goodluck team Stroom e-Cargo Bikes! ♻️

🚀 Savant Invests in the Future of Energy: Switch Energy's Role in Solving South Africa's Energy Crisis At Savant, we don’t just support startups—we actively invest in them. Through our Savant Build Programme, we not only help companies like Switch Energy become market-validated and investment-ready, but we also back them financially. Our approach ensures these businesses are thoroughly vetted, de-risked, and prepared for rapid growth, backed by the full support of our seasoned investment team. ⚡ Switch Energy is taking on South Africa’s energy crisis head-on. With their smart metering and energy trading platform, Switch offers real-time, accurate data and a proprietary energy matching algorithm to optimise electricity usage and trading. For external investors, Switch Energy represents a de-risked opportunity. Through Savant’s support, they’ve undergone rigorous validation and are positioned as a first mover in this critical space, making them a high-potential investment. We are proud investors of Switch Energy, Andrew Murray and look forward to working together! Exciting Announcement: Applications for the 2025 Savant Build Programme Are Open!  This initiative is dedicated to fostering innovation and sustainability in the green economy, and we’re proud to support exceptional startups that are driving transformative change.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d3wyqhp6

🚀 Highlights from the Savant Build Programme Demo Day! We’re thrilled to have showcased six groundbreaking startups leading the charge in the green economy, each demonstrating remarkable traction and key milestones that set them up for scalable success. 🌍 The evening was filled with inspiring presentations from our visionary founders, all in a packed room of investors and ecosystem enablers. Here are the highlights: 🧱 PyrolTech: With groundbreaking products like PyrolCrete, a sustainable concrete alternative, and PyrolWood, a moisture and pest-resistant timber, PyrolTech has achieved a 48% weight reduction, a 20% decrease in water usage, and a 38% cost saving, offering greener solutions that significantly benefit both the construction and agriculture sectors.  🔌 Switch Energy: Switch Energy has developed a strong network of smart meters, establishing the foundation for their cutting-edge energy trading platform. They are building powerful partnerships with municipalities and other stakeholders to optimize smart energy management and drive sustainable innovation. 🌱 BioAge: BioAge's proprietary triple-action delivery mechanism enables 90% absorption by plants, helping farmers increase yields, reduce reliance on chemical inputs, and improve environmental sustainability. 🏡 Homefarm: Revolutionising urban agriculture, Homefarm provides clients with continuous fresh produce and extended growing cycles, offering scalable, sustainable solutions for the food services industry. 🚴 STROOM: Completing over 40,000 km in deliveries, creating 30 green-tech jobs, and offsetting 3.8 tons of CO2 through a partnership with the Bavarian government. STROOM is developing the next generation of e-cargo bikes for South Africa. 🌾 Khepri Biosciences: Revolutionising waste management, Khepri's modular bioconversion systems turn organic waste into valuable products. Khepri offers sustainable solutions for municipalities, food manufacturers, and the hospitality sector. These startups are driving deep-tech innovation in the green economy, and investors have a unique opportunity to partner with transformative businesses.  We are also excited to announce that the application for the 2025 Savant Build Programme will be launching soon. Stay tuned to our channels for the latest updates! USAID Mobilizing Investment Nick Allen Kate Turner-Smith #SavantBuildProgramme #GreenEconomy #DeepTech

What an incredible day at the Southern African Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SAVCA) VC Conference at Hazendal Wine Estate. It was truly inspiring to hear from industry leaders and explore the theme of Driving Sustainability and Impact through Commercialisation in VC. Nick Allen and Francois Malan engaged with key stakeholders, offering insights into the venture capital landscape, the LP mindset, and investment trends within the African context. The discussions were lively, with actionable takeaways on how investors and their portfolio companies can work together to drive meaningful, sustainable change. Southern African Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SAVCA) #SAVCAVC #ImpactVC #Sustainability #VentureCapital

So many fantastic memories captured! 🎉 Over the past few months, we've witnessed remarkable collaboration and innovation within our ecosystem. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners and collaborators for their unwavering support—many of whom are not captured in the album below. Together, we’ve strengthened our community and provided world-class technical assistance to these innovators who are not only moving the needle across critical green economy sectors, but also preparing for their next big leap into international markets. With the Savant Investors Demo Day less than one hour away, join us in celebrating the remarkable progress of Cohort 2's Savant Build Programme companies. Each company is set to take centre stage, showcasing their pioneering innovations and demonstrating their paths to internationalisation! 🌍🌎 Stay tuned for updates! USAID USAID Mobilizing Investment DAI Hans Balyamujura Melanie de Nysschen Nick Allen #SavantBuildProgramme #DemoDay #GreenEconomyCommercialisation

We are thrilled to share the success of the Wesgro Hardware Innovation Showcase! Together with Wesgro, we brought together the Western Cape’s leading innovators and manufacturers to showcase their cutting-edge technologies. JP van der Merwe, Head of Investment Promotion at Wesgro emphasised the exhibition as a testament to the region’s exceptional engineering and science capabilities, underscoring Savant’s impact on the ecosystem. Notably, 10 out of the 11 companies featured in the hardware innovation exhibition were part of Savant’s portfolio. In a remarkable gathering, exhibiting companies included Adagin Technologies, AgriLogiq 🌱, Mushroom Guru (Pty) Ltd, AI Diagnostics, Mia Healthcare, LIQID Medical, Kulu Biofuels, Stroom e-Cargo Bikes, CubeSpace ADCS, Simera Sense and Visiosoft. The showcase was organised into four distinct streams: agritech, telemedicine and diagnostics, the green economy, connectivity and space exploration—spotlighting the region’s innovators shaping these pivotal industries. 🚀 Outcomes: The Hardware Innovation Showcase not only highlighted the exceptional capabilities of the Western Cape’s innovators, but also facilitated a critical convergence of government bodies, industry players, and pioneering inventors. Wesgro played a vital role by ensuring that each participating company and their manufacturing partners were onboarded to the Cape Trade Portal, enabling business deals, market expansion and economic growth. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dkkHKBjT Wesgro Wrenelle Stander JP van der Merwe Azra Fredericks Mzwandile Zwai Nomandla Invest Cape Town Western Cape Government City of Cape Town Matthew Cullinan Atlantis Special Economic Zone for Green Technologies

Savant Announces the Second Cohort of the Savant Build Programme! 🚀 Savant is thrilled to introduce the second cohort of the Savant Build Programme, an investment readiness accelerator dedicated to supporting pre-seed and seed deep-tech hardware companies. These startups are addressing critical green-economy gaps in agricultural advancement, green infrastructure, waste management, smart-energy solutions, and more. Meet Our Pioneering Startups: Pyrol Tech Pty Ltd: Transforming wood waste into sustainable carbon-based products. Homefarm: Revolutionising urban agriculture with smart, indoor gardening systems. Switch Energy: Optimising energy management with smart metering and energy trading solutions. Stroom e-Cargo Bikes: Offering sustainable last-mile delivery with sustainable and cutting-edge electric bikes. DeepLeaf: Empowering farmers with AI-powered crop recommendations and disease alerts. GrooveTech (Pty) Ltd- Better Sustainable Roads: Revolutionising green infrastructure — creating sustainable road construction materials from recycled plastic, rubber, and ash. Khepri Biosciences: Utilising cutting-edge technology for on-site organic waste processing. BioAge: Innovating bio-fertilisers through advanced molecular farming techniques. The Savant Build Programme focuses on five core pillars to drive the deep-tech ecosystem forward: 🌐 Ecosystem: Building connections between engineers, scientists, and the African investment ecosystem. 💰 Capital: Allocating capital and facilitating pathways to follow-on funding. 🧠 Advisory: Providing guidance on fundraising, deal structuring, and more. 🔧 Technical Assistance: Addressing specific technical challenges. 👥  Mentorship: Offering insights from experienced investors and industry experts. We are excited to see these innovative companies scale their solutions and drive the green economy forward.  Read more: https://lnkd.in/dW6Y78cz #SavantBuildProgramme USAID Mobilizing Investment USAID DAI