After three months of undergoing the Residential Intensive part of the Jasiri Talent Investor, 16 teams of young African entrepreneurs - known as Jasiri Fellows - pitched their exciting early stage ventures to regional business leaders operating in various industries, with the opportunity to receive a $10,000 investment for their early stage venture.
The pitching took place on October 7, 2022 at the BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda.
The Jasiri Talent Investor, supported by Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy (AGGP), officially launched in December 2020, with about 80 Jasiri Fellows taking part in the program to date. Excitingly, within a short span of time, 25 early stage ventures have been formed by the Jasiri Fellows.
The Jasiri Talent Investor program creates a conducive environment for young entrepreneurs to embrace the different stages of bringing a venture to life, from idea generation to venture creation.
In his closing remarks, Anthony Farr, Chief Executive Officer of Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy, said, "We stand in a country that is leveraging and harnessing the power of ambition. Rwanda is a small country but not a small people, there is a sense of ambition and possibility that comes from that. We need our Jasiri Fellows to demonstrate this ambition”.
The second cohort - known as Jasiri Zua Fellows - completed the residential phase of the Talent Investor. This is an environment within which entrepreneurs form teams, and identify products or services that target large unserved or underserved markets. The 16 teams pitched solutions from various industries including agribusiness, construction, fintech, mental health, fashion and textiles, among others.
The judging panel consisted of Mrs. Alice Nkulikiyinka (Country Director, BPN Rwanda), Dr. Carmen Nibigira (Lead Tourism & Hospitality Management, Mastercard Foundation), Mr. Kingsley M. Kipury (Director of Strategy and Partnerships at the SME Advisory Unit, Executive Office of the President of Kenya), and Dr. Laila Macharia (Chairman, Africa Digital Media Institute).
The Demo Day was attended by a variety of business leaders, friends and family excited to encourage the Jasiri Zua Fellows. The Guest of Honour, Mr. Faustin K. Mbundu, Business Leader and Entrepreneur, noted that, "It is important that we appreciate what the Jasiri team and the Gray group has done. Most of the challenges we have is the lack of support for our young entrepreneurs. I do not doubt that all of you will succeed. According to me, you are all winners!”
All indeed were winners to not only Mr. Mbundu but to the panel of judges as well. Of the 16 pitches presented, all teams were selected to move onto the next phase of the Talent Investor i.e. the venture creation stage.
In closing, Kingsley M. Kipury, highlighted to the Fellows that "The continent is 100% dependent on your potential. We need you. The destiny, the fate and the future of our continent is in your hands - young people from this continent who are unafraid, unapologetic, and not afraid to tackle pertinent issues.”
About JASIRI
JASIRI Africa is an entrepreneurial hub that empowers value-driven entrepreneurship to attack poverty through the creation of high-impact businesses. Supported by Allan Gill Gray Philanthropy (AGGP), JASIRI creates a conducive environment for entrepreneurs to be supported - from idea generation to venture creation.
Jasiri invests in, nurtures, and empowers entrepreneurs who benefit society and create new markets on the African continent. Jasiri believes that entrepreneurial teams are at the heart of new venture creation, and provides the entrepreneur with access to a diverse group of potential co-founders. Jasiri supports new ventures from idea generation to venture creation, taking a long-term approach to developing exceptional, responsible entrepreneurs in Africa.
Learn more at jasiri.org