AGEA Start-Up Class 2022 takes off: African startups receive international training for business success

News from 03/03/2022

The AGEA Start-Up class, a bi-weekly vibrant virtual training organized by the SEPT Competence Center within the framework of the African German Entrepreneurship Academy (AGEA), has been running since March 9th, 2022. The 3 months training session follows the AGEA Business Idea Competition (BIC) 2021, which showcased the entrepreneurial potential in research conducted at African Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). The research results are being shaped through training and coaching into viable business models for products and services to be introduced into their respective markets.

The virtual training seeks to enhance the business development knowledge of researchers exploiting their university's third mission. Participating start-up teams and individuals comprise the winners and top ideas from the AGEA BIC 2021, the Pan-African University Innovation Challenge, and the ABSbio project. 15 teams from ten African countries make up the start-up teams that started the training. Some of the participating teams are SoCool from Algeria, eTrah2Cash from Nigeria, Afrobacteria from South Africa, Realnutri from Uganda, Enhancing Value-Added Chain in Poultry Farming from Nigeria, Nutri-Kid from Kenya, PlantLife from Namibia, Intra African trade from Cameroon, Dishashili from Kenya, Afri-techs services from Cameroon, and SAP Natural Insecticide from Ghana.

The AGEA start-up class 2022 consists of training sessions where participants are introduced to the concepts and tools for innovative business model development and followed up with coaching sessions from coaches assigned. The trainers and coaches are Prof. Dr. Utz Dornberger, Bismark Agyei Yeboah, Markus Maier, Johannes Göckeritz, Gundula von Fintel, Christian Hauke, and Christian Scheffler, all from the SMILE and SEPT teams at Leipzig University.

Content of the training sessions includes elements of the Business Model Canvas, value proposition design customer segment, personas-B2C/B2B, customer demand profile, value map, and product model. These topics were introduced to start-up teams highlighting their importance in successfully founding their start-ups. Their understanding was enhanced through the availability of methodological tools such as the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas.

After the first three sessions, start-up teams had well-understood marketing and distributing channels. Here concepts of marketing strategy, distribution strategy, and customer relationships were stressed. Feedback from the start-up teams evidenced the positive impact of this knowledge transfer. The commitment and availability of both them and the trainers with tailored coaching sessions is one peculiar feature of the AGEA Start-Up Class.

This class is not just a training session but also provides support resources such as expert coaching, whereby each team is meticulously matched with an expert to work together throughout the class. Therefore, experts follow a case-by-case coaching methodology and not a one-size-fits-all approach. During the training sessions, start-up teams also form a community to network and get to know each other better and possibly work together on subsequent start-up projects.

Each trainer has two teams to coach. This personalized approach ensures the class's effectiveness and efficiency. After a month of training, start-up teams can boast of valuable knowledge on topics treated. Further support will be provided for committed start-up teams where possible.

Learn more about AGEA and our training offer here: News & Events - AGEA (ageacademy.de).