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Net Prophet Sparkup accelerator opens applications for over R1m pitching programme
The Net Prophet Sparkup accelerator programme is accepting applications for its 2016 event. It will run from 1-4 April with over R1-million in Angel funding up for grabs. Previously named Net Prophet Startup Workshop, the programme is geared towards coaching tech-based and tech-enabled startups to be investor ready. Only 15 qualifying startups will be accepted for the three-day 'intensive' training regime. It will be followed by a live pitching session to angel investors on 4 April. Training will include coaching and one-on-one sessions from various industry experts, among whom will be seasoned business mentor and founder of MentorCamp Canada, Permjot Valia. Read more: Everything you...
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Vinny Lingham, Matthew Buckland to chat ‘Silicon Cape to Silicon Valley’
On Monday, 7 March Gyft founder and Dragon Vinny Lingham will join publisher and agency head Matthew Buckland for a fireside chat hosted by the Silicon Cape Initiative. The event, titled "Silicon Cape to Silicon Valley" will cover Lingham's entrepreneurial journey from his days as co-founder of companies such as Clicks2Customers and Yola, to his recent successes in Silicon Valley with the likes of Gyft, which he sold for a reported US$50-million and Civic, his new data protection service, which just raised US$2.75-million. As a co-founder of Silicon Cape who has also made it big in Silicon Valley, Lingham is uniquely...
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Streamlining processes: how to improve business relations
The cool thing about streamlining your business is that, well, you can make more money if you do so. You can save yourself time and labor. You can move to a more automated system that allows for growth and you can keep your customers satisfied. All in one fell swoop, as they say. Is this some magic formula that's been kept in a vaulted dungeon somewhere all these years? Is this some basic business principle that's been around forever and is now just been given a fancy, new name? Is this just a way to sell you some software? What if...
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Japan, you have a unicorn. Mercari’s valuation rises over $1b
Time to update our list of Japanese unicorns. Mercari, an app for selling second-hand goods, has just raised US$74 million in its series D at a valuation of over US$1 billion. (Hat-tip toTechCrunch.) Since starting in 2013, the company has raised US$110 million. The current round features a whos who of Japan’s investment community with Mitsui & Co., Development Bank of Japan, Japan Co-Invest, Globis Capital Partners, World Innovation Lab, and Global Brain all on board. In just three short years, the app has seen meteoric success. The company’s latest press release notes that it fulfills US$88 million worth of orders...
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i-Pay, PayU roll out new EFT system to SA online stores
Online payment gateway i-Pay and Naspers-owned payment solution PayU's collaboration is rolling out to online stores. Named PayU EFT Pro, the service will be available to online stores who utilise PayU as a payments gateway. The two companies partnered in September last year in order to create automated EFT solutions for the online SA market. Clients who utilise this feature will make an EFT payment via their bank's online portal; the funds will then be paid directly into the merchant's bank account. According to a press release sent to Ventureburn, i-Pay "guarantees the highest level of security when paying online," which should be an attractive feature...
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4 new ecommerce trends you should be aware of
There are a lot of different ways to earn money online. In fact, many traditional jobs are now transitioning to a virtual environment, which means that the methods a person can use to earn money via the web are almost endless. Of course, some methods are easier to break into than others. For example, one of the fastest and most straightforward ways to earn money via the internet is through trading and investments. Forex is one, but a better avenue is binary options. According to 24option, binary option trading consists of short term investments in which you “bet” on how...
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$100k up for grabs for Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs
Applications for the Anisha Prize, now in its sixth edition, have opened with total prize money now worth US$100 000. The competition, which is a collaboration between the African Leadership Academy and the MasterCard Foundation, aims to identify 12 of Africa’s "most innovative social and business entrepreneurs under the age of 22". In addition to increased prize money, the two organisations have also promised an increase in the support available to selected entrepreneurs over the next five years. Each of the 12 finalists will now receive a US$7 500 fellowship package with the ALA’s Youth Entrepreneur Support Unit (YES-U) which...
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The importance of using the right formulae to keep your business on track
Financial statements are often used to judge whether a business is performing well or not, however these numbers alone seldom tell the whole story. Entrepreneurs might be knowledgeable in their chosen field, but may lack the technical skills to fully analyse financial statements. It is therefore crucial to investigate other methods available for analysis of their business. Seeing the big picture While financial statements offer a good picture of past performance, they are not entirely suitable for predicting where the company might be in the future. Because they use historical data, they cannot accurately reflect sudden market changes or illustrate where...
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I don’t want your money
I don’t want your money. No, really I don’t. After 10 years of running our country’s oldest bank, I’ve kicked the habit of looking after other people’s money. It’s not that I’m not grateful for the more than R300-billion that you deposited with us when I was CEO. I really am. It’s just that after many years of countless Board, Audit, Compliance, Transformation and Risk Committee meetings it was time to stop sitting in boardrooms and start doing something real. You see there are few things that really create the future. Most institutions protect what is, instead of creating what...
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4 things to consider before crowdfunding your startup
The market has been flooded with positive news about crowdfunding and how it is displacing the traditional venture capital market with great rapidity. This is a trend that is likely to continue, although it does represent only a small fragment of the market. The fact is that crowdfunding still has a long way to go in terms of displacing the venture funding market. A big mistake that one can make is going straight to crowdfunding and believing that is will give you the same coverage that a traditional fundraising campaign will have. This article is designed to provide you...
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