Launchlab to move from lecture sessions to online content says incubator head

Stellenbosch incubator Launchlab plans to move from lecture-style sessions to offering more online content for its Lean Iterator and Countdown Programmes which participants will be able to watch in their own time, says the incubator’s CEO Philip Marais.

The Lean Iterator and Countdown programmes are part of the incubator’s Breakthrough Innovation Programme which it offers to corporate clients to access innovative startups.

“The startup participants will then come together to discuss the content and its implementation with the content provider and in so doing increase the number and quality of interactions during the facilitation sessions,” said Marais (pictured above) in an email today to Ventureburn.

“We will also include mentors from our network and representatives from our corporate clients in those sessions to further increase the number of valuable connections that occur,” he added.

The incubator he said would focus on facilitating “valuable connections between startups and corporates”.

Over the last three years Launchlab has supported over 122 startups, 70 of which are currently being incubated

Over the last three years the incubator says it has supported over 323 people and 122 startups around the country, 70 of which are currently being incubated at the Nedbank Stellenbosch University LaunchLab.

He also confirmed that Launchlab will continue to work with Nedbank, Santam, ATTACQ and Merceded-Benz this year, this after it held several innovation challenges for these companies last year, including the Santam Safety Ideas Challenge, ATTACQ Smart Cities Innovation challenge and the Mercedes-Benz South Africa Innovation Challenge.

Read more: Launchlab and Attacq launch Smart Cities Innovation Challenge
Read more: Mercedes-Benz SA launches innovation challenge with Launchlab
Read more: Cape Town-based security startup Jonga wins Santam Safety Ideas campaign

He believes this corporate engagement has “provided scaling opportunities for these startups that entrepreneurs can only dream about, usually”.

Last year security startup Jonga won R150 000 to cover incubation costs, while winners of the ATTACQ challenge including Giftdrop won access to ATTACQ’s client base.

One of the Mercedes-Benz South Africa innovation challenge winners, Data Prophet, won an opportunity to participate at the Mercedes-Benz global startup competition this year.

Marais urged entrepreneurs interested in participating in the incubator’s upcoming innovation challenges to register on the site.

Featured image: Launchlab CEO Philip Marais (Supplied)