Cape Town, South Africa, will be the location of the ENRICH in Africa (EiA) Center as announced by the ENRICH in Africa consortium. The EiA Centre will facilitate exchange between African and European innovation actors and take up the delivery of quality business support services currently being developed by the ENRICH in Africa project. Many of these services will be available through a sustainable online community and innovative new digital platform (to be launched towards the end of 2021).
The new EiA Centre is jointly hosted by South Africa-based organisations Methys and Startupbootcamp AfriTech, and supported by numerous established African and European players in the innovation ecosystem. Cape Town is South Africa’s second-most populous city and one of the main economic hubs of the continent. It is considered a startup hotspot able to attract crucial supporters necessary for creating thriving companies, such as accelerators, venture capitalists and business angels.
“Methys is very pleased to have been chosen, jointly with our long-time partner Startupbootcamp AfriTech, to host in Cape Town the head office of ENRICH in Africa. Together we will, thanks to the grant from the European Commission and the platform of partnerships we have been building over the years, work relentlessly to build together a common business around technology partnerships, open innovation and soft-landing for African entrepreneur in Europe and European entrepreneurs in Africa. We look forward to continuing to amplify our work to support our ecosystem”. - Christophe Viarnaud, CEO of Methys Consulting (Pty) Ltd – EiA Consortium partner.
“As a longstanding champion of the development of Africa's start-up ecosystem, Startupbootcamp Afritech is thrilled to have been selected as the joint host of the ENRICH in Africa alliance head office located in Cape Town. Over the last 4 years, we have built an inspiring track record helping African startups to realize their potential and accelerate their growth. Together with our project partners, the Methys Group, we commit to supporting co-creation, knowledge-sharing and capacity building between European and African innovators.” - Philip Kiracofe, CEO of Startupbootcamp Afritech – EiA Consortium Partner.
The selection of the Centre’s hosts and its location is an important milestone in the EiA project’s mission to connect European and African incubation and acceleration communities. Ultimately, both the EiA project and the EiA Center will facilitate the growth of ideas and successful outcomes within the African - EU innovation landscape by establishing a sustainable community. Through its headquarters in Cape Town, the EiA Centre will continue working towards the implementation of the activities outlined in the EiA project, which is funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. As such, the EiA Centre will eventually be established as an independent business entity, offering high quality services to innovators, entrepreneurs, incubators and accelerators across Europe and Africa even after the end of the EiA project, thus ensuring the sustainability of the project’s mission.
ENRICH in Africa Centre Activities and Services
The EiA Centre will provide a range of services to African and European
incubators and accelerators through a Champions membership programme, which will facilitate knowledge sharing and promote the development of the two continents’ innovation ecosystems. The services will include:
• Bootcamp trainings
• Virtual academy
• Inter – continental twinning programme
• Mentoring programme
• Access to best practice tools
• Promotional activities
• Support to access clients
• Shared profit activities
• Annual Champions Gathering
• Digital community
• Hosting of learning expeditions to their regions
EiA will also work towards supporting entrepreneurs and innovators to strengthen their presence and services both in Africa and Europe. To this end, the EiA Centre offers:
• Open Innovation Challenges
• Acceleration programmes
• Scaling programmes
• Access to tools including the community platform
• Access to new potential partners
• Access to investors
• E-pitching session
• Webinars
• Learning expeditions
About ENRICH in Africa: Funded by the European Union (Horizon 2020 programme), ENRICH in Africa is a project designed to bring together core stakeholders from both continents, to support and strengthen the European and African innovation ecosystem.
EiA Consortium Partners: Steinbeis 2i (Germany), Impact Hub (Austria), European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN – Belgium), Sociedade Portuguesa De Inovação (SPI - Portugal) Agorize (France), Bondy Innovation (France), Co-Creation Hub (Nigeria), I-Hub (Kenya), Methys (South Africa), Tech Accelerator (South Africa), Science Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organisation (Tanzania), BPI France (France).
ENRICH Network: ENRICH is a global network of centres and hubs that promotes the internationalisation of European science, technology, and innovation. Promoted by the European Commission, the ENRICH network offers services to connect European research, technology, and business organisations with global frontrunner innovation markets like Brazil, China, the US, India and now, Africa.
More information: https://www.enrichcentres.eu/