ONE of the regular complaints I hear as a financial journalist is that South Africa doesn't have a culture of investing in start-ups or promising entrepreneurs.
And yet venture capitalists argue there simply aren't enough businesses in which to invest; that they are crying out for investment opportunities.
Read the rest of this column on Fin24.com
Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innovation. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Innovation Exhibition 2009
The Innovation Investor Exhibition at the Maropeng Conference Centre on the 18 - 19 August is connecting innovators, inventors and investors.
It’s a phenomenal expo for anyone wanting to take an idea to market, network with innovators, anyone looking for finance, or become more acutely informed of the state of innovation and its place in South Africa.
It’s a phenomenal expo for anyone wanting to take an idea to market, network with innovators, anyone looking for finance, or become more acutely informed of the state of innovation and its place in South Africa.
Not only will you expose your brand to the cutting edge of innovation drivers in our country but you have a bevy of guest speakers who will deliver their knowledge in your own exhibitor’s breakaway group. Updates on venture capital; Case studies of entrepreneurs to inspire the most jaded professionals, value of research, (“You cannot improve it if you cannot measure it ‘says Kelvin); Putting a product on the market; Governments’ role in innovation. Enough to keep you enthralled and scrambling for the next speaker while the main delegates are out of your expo space and into the conference seats.
If you’ve been too busy, take a few seconds to book your stand right now It’s an awesome event that you just cannot miss! And it all happens at the Maropeng Conference Centre with its innovative architecture and inspirational setting in the award-winning world Heritage Site, Cradle of Humankind west of Johannesburg.
Read more of this innovation initiative on www.innovationsummit.co.za
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Innovation Summit
The ‘jury’ in the October 2008 ‘Innovation On Trial’ court case held at Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg found INNOVATION NOT GUILTY on the charge of armed robbery and perjury. However, in mitigation of this verdict, the ‘jury’ (conference delegates made up of members from the triple helix), was unanimous in agreeing that successful innovation cannot happen without proper innovation management systems and processes. Opened by the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, the 2008 summit set the stage for annual national deliberations on innovation and its facets, in order for our country to become more competitive, boost economic growth and address social issues such as job creation and poverty.
Ruda Landman acts as MC and chairs discussions in this year’s event set to take place in an innovative simulated television recording studio. The 2009 event brings together some of our country’s foremost minds who will be delivering on how, if designed correctly and with a purpose, innovation can produce the required results companies need, based on their own culture and landscape.
This year’s event sees the inclusion of an exciting exhibition. Launched by the SA Innovator Magazine, this incredible expo called Innovation Investor Exhibition 2009, walks the innovation commercialisation process and brings together relevant stakeholders: inventors, investors, venture capitalists and financiers, Patent and IP attorneys, Designers, Government institutions and agencies.
CEOs, government and other leading figureheads will be treated to an array of workshops which will empower them to not only use innovation as a tool in planning for their organisation’s future but also to in a cup shell... design their own entire cuppa – tea… naturally... literally!
SA’s 2nd National Innovation Summit themed: Innovation by design…innovate for you future with a purpose, will be hosted at the Maropeng Conference Centre, nestled in the award-winning world heritage site, Cradle of Humankind on 18th and 19th August.
Contact information:
www.innovationsummit.co.za
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Innovation Fund Invites South Africans to Submit Proposals for Investment in their novel inventions
The Innovation Fund is inviting investment proposals from all South Africans with novel and inventive technological ideas that are commercially viable.
The Innovation Fund, which is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology mandated to promote technological innovation through investment in development and commercialisation of novel and inventive South African technologies, is inviting investment proposals from all South Africans with novel and inventive technological ideas that are commercially viable.
In announcing this invite the Innovation Fund’s Senior Commercialisation Manager Duncan Raftesath said, “this invite is based on the Innovation Fund’s firm belief in the inventiveness of South Africans, their ability to invent technologies and apply them in solving real life problems. Through this invite we are calling on South African scientists, engineers and inventors to come up with truly novel and inventive technologies that have a commercial case and we will help them finalise their R&D, protect their intellectual property and commercialise their inventions.”
Investments will be made available through the Innovation Fund’s investment programmes which are the Technology Advancement Programme (TAP), Seed Fund and the Patent Support Funds. Projects that need investments to finalise their Research and Development will receive investment through the Technology Advancement Programme which invests in late stage (i.e. where proof of science already exists) research and development of novel and inventive technologies. TAP investments are up to R15 million per project over five (5) years. Projects that have already developed novel and inventive technologies but need investment to take their technologies to the market will receive investment through the Seed Fund, which invests in early commercialisation/ start up activities aimed at taking technological innovations to the market. Total value of Seed Fund investments will be on case by case bases. The last programme that seeks investment proposals is the Patent Support Fund which is comprised of instruments targeted at SMMEs and Techno-entrepreneurs. The Patent Support Fund’s instruments are meant to assist with the costs associated with the protection of intellectual property through the patenting system. Each successful SMME will receive an investment of up to R750 000.
All interested individuals, SMMEs and research institutions must submit their proposals by the end of this financial year, 31 March 2009. Another open call will commence from 1 April 2009. Further information and application forms are available on the Innovation Fund’s website www.innovationfund.ac.za.
The Innovation Fund, which is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology mandated to promote technological innovation through investment in development and commercialisation of novel and inventive South African technologies, is inviting investment proposals from all South Africans with novel and inventive technological ideas that are commercially viable.
In announcing this invite the Innovation Fund’s Senior Commercialisation Manager Duncan Raftesath said, “this invite is based on the Innovation Fund’s firm belief in the inventiveness of South Africans, their ability to invent technologies and apply them in solving real life problems. Through this invite we are calling on South African scientists, engineers and inventors to come up with truly novel and inventive technologies that have a commercial case and we will help them finalise their R&D, protect their intellectual property and commercialise their inventions.”
Investments will be made available through the Innovation Fund’s investment programmes which are the Technology Advancement Programme (TAP), Seed Fund and the Patent Support Funds. Projects that need investments to finalise their Research and Development will receive investment through the Technology Advancement Programme which invests in late stage (i.e. where proof of science already exists) research and development of novel and inventive technologies. TAP investments are up to R15 million per project over five (5) years. Projects that have already developed novel and inventive technologies but need investment to take their technologies to the market will receive investment through the Seed Fund, which invests in early commercialisation/ start up activities aimed at taking technological innovations to the market. Total value of Seed Fund investments will be on case by case bases. The last programme that seeks investment proposals is the Patent Support Fund which is comprised of instruments targeted at SMMEs and Techno-entrepreneurs. The Patent Support Fund’s instruments are meant to assist with the costs associated with the protection of intellectual property through the patenting system. Each successful SMME will receive an investment of up to R750 000.
All interested individuals, SMMEs and research institutions must submit their proposals by the end of this financial year, 31 March 2009. Another open call will commence from 1 April 2009. Further information and application forms are available on the Innovation Fund’s website www.innovationfund.ac.za.
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