APPLY NOW: AFRICA STARTUPS CHALLENGE NOW OPEN

Do you want to partner with a global financial services company to accelerate your business?

Then get involved in the Africa Startups Challenge!

Thomson Reuters in partnership with Venture Capital For Africa (VC4A) are launching an initiative to provide a platform for startups to partner with us as you grow your startup into a lucrative business.

The Africa Startups Challenge seeks to find the best new companies coming out of Africa. As a large continent made up of many emerging markets Africa is home to some exciting startups who are able to leverage new technology and new business models to leap-frog the current players. We want to know which startups are important and why.

Thomson Reuters aims to empower Africa’s success by providing government, financial, academic and business solutions that have helped move from aid-based economies to self-sustaining, knowledge-based economies for almost 150 years.

What is in it for you?

• The Challenge will provide you with the opportunity at a potential partnership with a global financial services and professional information company.
• Increase visibility for your startup by being showcased on our global investment platform called Eikon.
• Opportunity to attend the Thomson Reuters Africa Summit 2016.
• Cash prize for the winning startup.

If your startup is in FinTech or related industries, then this is the challenge for you!

Thomson Reuters position as a trusted provider in financial markets makes it attractive for FinTech startups to work with us as a partner. Our answer to the changing environment is an open platform approach – leveraging our depth and breadth, and enabling collaborative partnerships focused on innovation.

This Challenge seeks the most promising startups in Africa. Key areas of focus are the following 10 categories:

• Agri-tech (including land administration)
• Big data analytics
• Blockchain
• Digital government
• Education
• Internet of Things
• Fintech
• Media-tech
• Mobile technology
• Supply chain

Click here to apply now. 

Unreasonable Lab launches in Nigeria, To Prepare Startups For Investment

Unreasonable Ambition: How a movement of entrepreneurship training programs seeks to put a dent on poverty

Boulder, CO –On 6th of June to 10th of June 2016, 25 startups from across Nigeria will gather in Lagos for 5 days, alongside top investors and business mentors for Unreasonable Lab Nigeria, a five-day intensive training program preparing them to raise capital, replete with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors from across Nigeria serving as mentors.

Asked why they wanted to bring Unreasonable Labs to their country, Unreasonable Labs Nigeria’s founding team Olufemi Omotayo, Tito Philips, Jnr. and Michael Olorunninwo said: 

“For the first time in history, we have adopted a market economy. Our ongoing development cannot continue through aid and donation. There’s no other way to address our challenges but through entrepreneurship, innovation, and private sector. And Unreasonable Labs might be the best avenue to addressing these needs.”

“It’s amazing to see entrepreneurs creating companies that can really help a lot of people,” explains Teju Ravilochan, co-founder and CEO of Unreasonable Institute. Unreasonable Institute boasts successful alumni, including:

• Mosaic, the “solar bank” that started as an idea at Unreasonable Institute and now is the largest lender for home solar projects in the United States.
• Eneza, the fastest growing mobile education app in Africa, equipping 650,000 students in Kenya to gain access to tutoring and test prep on $10 phones.
• MANA Nutrition, which has cured over one million kids of severe acute malnutrition through a nutrient-enriched peanut butter.

The results are striking. 93% of the 150 startups in Unreasonable Institute’s portfolio have raised funding totaling over $100 million. And all together, those companies are benefitting 8 million lives.

But to Ravilochan and his team, it wasn’t enough. “We started Unreasonable Institute because we thought the best way to address billion-person problems was by helping entrepreneurs find solutions,” he explains. “But to have any chance of doing that, we need to find thousands of entrepreneurs and get them the people and resources they need to grow.”

Ravilochan noted Unreasonable Institute had one key barrier to scale. “Our model is high touch,” he explains. “Mentors spend a lot of time with our entrepreneurs.” Mentors (experienced business and social/environmental change leaders) each pick one company to work with for 6-12 months. “And we carefully match them based on diagnosing our entrepreneur’s needs and understanding the mentor’s skills.”

“Entrepreneurs get a lot of attention from mentors who come through the program. That’s what makes Unreasonable Institute so valuable for them.” says Ravilochan. “So we weren’t going to be able to maintain the quality of our support and work with a whole lot more entrepreneurs. So we figured, hey, what if we could just teach other people to do what we do?”

Enter Unreasonable Labs. “We packaged up our curriculum and built a way to train teams we think could do what we do,” says Banks Benitez, Vice President of Global Expansion at Unreasonable Institute. “The local teams that we find in new countries to run Labs can then recruit locally-based mentors and funders to support the startups they find.”

In 2015-2016, Unreasonable Institute has equipped 25 Labs in the locations below:






For more information about the #UnreasonableNaija event, kindly visit: www.unreasonableinstitute.org/accelerator/nigeria-2016/

Nigeria Contact:
Email: UnreasonableNG@gmail.com
Phone +234 817 672 8769
Twitter: @UnreasonableNG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnreasonableNG/

Franchise Opportunity in Nigeria - Spring Meadow Edutainment and Meadow Hall Branchise

A few weeks ago, I got a call from an old friend Moninuade Illuyomade, She wanted me to come and talk to some aspiring entrepreneurs that were looking to take advantage of the Meadow hall franchise. 

I was concerned about the distance and timing, but passion prevailed and I agreed. I was glad I was there because I didn't just get to share my 2 cents on entrepreneurship but I learnt about new opportunities available for investors in Nigeria.

I focused on my top five things you need to know before you jump into business, starting with your "why".

I have a vlog series ongoing on this, if you haven't visited my vlog please click here to watch and subscribe.... thanks! 

Hehe... I was in my element! 

If you have been to Meadow Hall in Lekki, or met the Group CEO, Mrs. Kehinde Nwani, you would immediately feel all the excellence packed into this vision. I was given a tour round the facility and oh my God!! If I wasn't living so far away and of course if I had that plenty school fees money (hehe...Good things don't come cheap, let's face it) I would move my boys there immediately. 

Mrs. Kehinde Nwani, Group MD/CEO

I realized there is so much to gain from having healthy conversations with people, sometimes you catch a revelation that changes your whole life. This is what happened with Mr. Nwani, one minute she is discussing with a friend about expansion plans for meadow hall and her friend says, why don't you consider franchising? That was the aha moment and she dug up her legal notes and launched a full research on the possibilities.

With the current economic situation, running with an existing, tried and tested business model is the way to go! No kidding. No point spending money on trial and error. The franchise model is a win win, where the school gets to expand through you and you gain leverage. Don't get me wrong though, there will be challenges, but many of the basic hurdles will already be eliminated. 

Mrs Moninuade Iluyomade, breaking down the franchise benefits

I promised to share summary of the opportunity to a lot of people, below is an overview of the Meadow Hall Branchise and what it offers;

Cheers

Introduction

Meadow Hall Branchise is a subsidiary of the Meadow Hall Group. The aim of the Company is to manage the business expansion of the group by setting up branches for Meadow Hall School.

Who we are:

• Meadow Hall Branchise is a subsidiary of Meadow Hall group. 
• Branchise is a fusion of the words branch & franchise. 
• Our aim is to create opportunities for our stakeholders.

What We do:

• We set up branches for Meadow Hall Education, 
• (A subsidiary of Meadow hall group). 
• We oversee the franchising of different Meadow Hall Centres. 
• These Centres are operated and managed by Spring Meadow Edutainment (A subsidiary of Meadow hall group) on behalf of Meadow Hall.

Our Vision:

To build and nurture a network of innovative and creative entrepreneurs who in turn will spread best practices in the education industry while simultaneously creating wealth in the economy.

What is franchising?

This is a relationship between the franchisor (Meadow Hall Branchise) and the franchisee (You) where the franchisor grants the franchisee the right to use a developed concept, including trademarks and brand name, service & marketing methods and the entire business operation model, for a fee.

What we Offer to Prospective Franchisees  

An Opportunity to:

• Be associated with a reputable Brand name.
• Access a quality trademark.
• Use an established and proven operating system.
• Operate a successful Business model.

Your success is our success therefore we will provide strong operational, training & Marketing support to our franchisees.

What we offer the children

An opportunity to:

• Harness their imagination
• Unleash the endless potentials of their creativity
• Gain mastery of their skills 
• Develop their physical & artistic skills to its highest potential. 

Franchise Offering

1. Meadow Hall Music Academy
2. Meadow Hall STEM Centre
3. Meadow Hall Language School
4. Meadow Hall Art Centre
5. Meadow Hall Dance School
6. Special Education Needs Centre
7. Meadow Hall After School Centre
8. Meadow Hall Book Cafe

Selected Territories

Lagos:

• VGC/Ajah 
• Victoria Island 
• Surulere 
• Ikeja 
• Gbagada 
• Anthony/Maryland 
• Magodo/ Ogudu

Outside Lagos:

• Abuja 
• Ibadan 
• Port Harcourt. 

For further enquiry or registration & application please contact:

t: 0705 119 0415

e: miluyomade@meadowhallbranchise.com

w: www.meadowhallbranchise.com

tw: Meadowhall Branchise@mhallbranchise

APPLY FOR THE ROAD TO WOMEN’S BUSINESS GROWTH PROJECT

The Road to Women’s Business Growth project is a unique initiative which will build the business skills of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

The project aims to increase women’s access to financial services and markets and empower them to grow profitable and sustanable business, ultimately promoting their long-term economic independence.

There is no registration fee. However, please note that participants are requested to cover travel/transportation costs to the project’s training centres located in three cities: Lagos, Abuja or Uyo.

Project Structure

The project will focus on providing support to women entrepreneurs through its two phased approach:
Phase I

500 small business owners will be trained in financial literacy and investment readiness over six (6) weeks, including two classroom workshops and four weeks of e-learning (January – March 2016).
Phase II

100 top performing women entrepreneurs (out of the 500) will receive intensive business support in the form of tailored business training and services and ongoing mentoring over six months (from May 2016).

To be eligible for this program you need to:

1. Own a business in Nigeria.

2. Operate a business in a high-growth sector.

3. Have 3 – 49 staff.

4. Have an annual turnover of N3-20 million.

5. Have English language fluency

6. Have a business which has generated profit for at least 2 years.

7. Have a strong desire and commitment to grow your business.

8. Have basic computer literacy

9. Have a need for additional investment and have had no previous access to formal financial services

Application Process

The deadline for application is 5pm on 10 December 2015. Applications will be evaluated as they arrive, and selections will be made on a rolling basis. Places will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Selection results will be announced in January 2016

APPLY NOW

For questions please contact Lola at Lfalokun@pau.edu.ng or call 08174583173.

A unique opportunity for Start-Ups!

In Africa as elsewhere, many young people aspire to start their own business and build a brighter future, which is why we’ve created the « Startupper of the year by Total »challenge.

Ideas deserve support, especially great ones. And promising ideas deserve a helping hand.

Google, Facebook, Daily Motion, Twitter, Deezer, Airbnb and other leading names in the 2.0 economy all started as the brainchild of inspired young people. There’s no shortage of startuppers in Africa — iCow(1), Afate 3D Printer(2), CardioPad(3), Obami(4), Sense Ebola Follow up(5) and M-Iouma(6) are already shaking up the continent.

IF YOU’RE CURRENTLY PREPARING A BUSINESS PLAN OR ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF CREATING YOUR OWN BUSINESS, YOU’RE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER OUR CHALLENGE!

Total Wants You

Are you under 35 years old? Do you want to create a business or develop one that is less than two years old? Are you a citizen of one of these 34 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe?* If so, this challenge is for you!

We’re interested in all your projects, regardless of the type of business or activity, as long as they share the characteristics common to creative start-ups: innovation, competitiveness, growth boosting and job creation.

*The contestant must be a citizen of the country where its application is submitted in order to create or develop its project there. Only one application by contestant is admitted.

ENTER THE CHALLENGE!

Create a profile here to take part.

To enter, create your profile and provide the required information online. To support, justify and illustrate your project, you can attach as many documents as you wish to your application, including:

• your résumé,
• your business plan,
• your financing plan,
• your partnership strategy,
• an executive summary,
• a marketing brochure,
• your logo,
• your graphic standards,
• and/or a photo or video presentation, etc.

Think Global, Act Local

What challenges need to be tackled where you live? How will your innovative project address them? After you show us how, we’ll support those of you who will inspire, create, invest, hire and produce, all to transform "your" world

1 Kenyan start-up. Agricultural information service by mobile phone.
2 Togolese start-up. 3D printers made from discarded electronics.
3 Cameroonian start-up. Touch screen medical tablet designed to save lives.
4 South African start-up. Alternative learning platform.
5 Nigerian start-up. A mobile tool to help contain Ebola.
6 Senegalese start-up. Country’s first online agricultural stock exchange.