ACTIVITIES | Make-IT Accelerator kick-off Kenya
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ACTIVITIES | Make-IT Accelerator kick-off Kenya
Selection of the first Make-IT Accelerator intake in Kenya
From December 5th-7th 2017, Make-IT welcomed 30 different start-ups from East African countries, representing agriculture, energy, education, fintech and health sectors to the final selection round of the Make-IT Accelerator. The event was hosted by Nailab in Nairobi.
Nailab is Make-IT’s implementing partner for the first phase of the Accelerator program in Nairobi.
The first two days (December 5th and 6th) the start-ups were put through a selection process each of them receiving scores during three activities: peer to peer pitches, team workshops and jury interviews. In total, 15 start-ups were chosen for the first intake of the Make-IT Accelerator program, starting in Nairobi in January 2018. A similar process took place in Nigeria in November to choose the 15 most promising start-ups out of the applicants.
Selection process
The Jury
Selection Criteria
Follow up
The Jury
The jury was compiled of stakeholders with particular interest in digital start-ups and Make-IT in Africa. Participants on the jury included:
- Munyaradzi-Arnold Chivasa, Merckgroup
- Nils Hafa, Greentec Capital
- Reha Yurdakul, IBM
- Marah Koeberle, AHK (German Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
- Andia Chakava, Alpha Africa Asset Managers
- Sam Gichuru, Nailab
- Sheilah Birgen, iHub
- Stephen Gugu, Victoria Ventures
- Halima Murunga, WonderKid
- Lillian Marenya, Enablis
- Linet Kwomboka, Data Science
- Prisca Watko, GIZ
- Dr. Salome Ngata, Health Consultant
- Dr. Jan Schwaab, GIZ
Each start-up had 3 minutes to pitch their business model and up to 15 minutes with the jury, reserved for questions.
Selection Criteria
Prior to the final selection meeting, the start-ups applied to join the program via Make-IT partner VC4Africa. Here, they underwent their first screening round by a jury compiled of members of the networks of GIZ, VC4Africa, endeva and CcHub Nigeria.
Each jury member ranked the start-ups based on the following critieria (0-10 points per criterion):
- Business model
- Innovative use of technology
- Social impact
- Market
- Scaling potential
- Team competencies
- Quality of pitch/interview
Kick-off event
On December 7th, 2017 the Make-IT Accelerator hosted a kick-off event at Nailab. The event was joined by Dr. Joseph Kiplagat (Director of Ministry of Industry Trade and Cooperatives), Mr. Stefan Opitz (Country Director, GIZ for Kenya/Somalia) and Sam Gichuru (Director of Nailab). The start-ups had to give a final pitch and were welcomed to the program.
Photos taken by Brian Obi
