TECHgrow
Building–up the local Innovation Ecosystem
TECHgrow is a two-phase module, with the first phase taking place in the African partner country. Participants take part in a custom-made accelerator, which leads to a pitch event including a nomination in front of investors. The winners go on a soft landing trip to Germany as part of the second phase.
Target group: Start-ups in the roll-out phase in the market.
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TECHgrow 2023
The two-phase module was launched in spring 2023. With the help of the partner institution Arab Academy with the Rally Startup Accelerator, TECHgrow was able to identify and target the Egyptian startup scene.
225 Egyptian startups applied for the programme and the best 60 were invited - 10 each from GreenTech, Smart Manufacturing, HealthTech, Supply Chain, AgriTech and FinTech.
Expert input
In the first phase, TECHgrow offered the selected start-ups lectures by renowned experts. The focus was on identifying and further developing business models in terms of sustainability, understanding customers and achieving product-market fit, raising awareness of internationalisation, growth processes, relevant key figures and how investors view start-ups.
Program
Session 1: TECH4Transition and the German-Egyptian Start-Up Economy ↵
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Tuesday, 23 May 2023
In this session, the team and partners will present the TECH4Transition project, the TECHgrow module, partner institutions and funders. Speakers: Nermin Siam (KIT), Andrea Denzinger (GIZ) and Agnes Jansen (GIZ Egypt), Ralph Henn (KIT), Dr. Wael Desouki and Heba Al-Ashry (Arab Academy) and as Alumni Mohab Attia (Amanleek). |
Session 2: Growth, Scaling & Internationalization Essentials
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Tuesday, 30. May 2023
Speaker: Lena Esseln (German Entrepreneurship) Lena Esseln from German Entrepreneurship shares useful insights and information on entrepreneurial Growth, Scaling & Internationalization Essentials and highlights success stories that are created from data and guidelines. About Lena Lena's enthusiasm for the startup world sparked in her Master's degree in “Entrepreneurship and Innovation” in Italy. After her studies, she joined a boutique consulting firm's newly formed corporate venturing team, where she created novel business models and helped early-stage startups from diverse industries with their initial market entry. Since March 2021, Lena is part of German Entrepreneurship and has been contributing her expertise in supporting startups and promoting innovation in different roles. |
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Session 3: Business Model Development, Customer Persona & Key Business Metrics
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Monday, 12 June 2023
Speaker: Peter Fricke und Andreas Wittkop (Ernst & Young – Startup Academy) Peter Fricke and Andreas Wittkop from EY-Parthenon explain the importance of a solid business model. They'll cover some basic sales strategies, the importance of being customer-centric from the start, and provide an overview of the key business metrics you'll need to navigate to nail that next investor meeting. About Peter and Andreas
Peter Fricke is an Associate Director in the EMEIA FinTech Business Development team. He is responsible for developing and driving EY's FinTech Strategy across EMEIA and Germany - and is part of the EY Startup Academy team. Andreas Wittkop is a Manager within EY-Parthenon's Strategy and Transactions practice. He supports clients in planning and reviewing their commercial and operational strategies and contributes to the success of their M&A activities. |
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Session 4: Impact Business Building - How to attract international investors?
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Monday, 19 June 2023
Speaker: Francesco Pisani (Deloitte Germany) Dr. Francesco Pisani provides us with insights into solid and impactful business models, highlights the Dos and Don'ts of attracting investors, and the ins and outs of approaching international investors. About Francesco Francesco Pisani is Director in the M&A dpt. at Deloitte in Germany. Previously, he worked at another management consultancy company, where among others, he held the role of EMEIA deputy Startup Leader and directed an accelerator program for startups as well as a global training for colleagues aiming to work in the field. Francesco gained experiences in Private Equity and Investment Banking, and mentored at various national as well as international startups programs. |
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After the selection of the 15 finalists, two further workshops with a focus on action learning were held in phase 1.2. The theoretical impulses presented could be directly implemented by the participating founders.
Session 5: Entrepreneurial Marketing and Pricing
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Monday, 17 July 2023
Speaker: Andreas Kleinn (KIT - EnTechnon) In this workshop, Andreas Kleinn shows the importance of a strong and efficient marketing concept, especially for start-ups. He will provide us with an overview of the most important tools for positioning and image building and shares his know-how on pricing strategies and techniques. This session is an active workshop: participants will have the opportunity to integrate what has been discussed directly into their business models. About Andreas
Andreas Kleinn is a research associate and PhD student at the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Technology Management and Innovation (EnTechnon) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He advises German companies on market entry and sales strategies. Andreas Kleinn is also co-founder and managing director of Klei GmbH, a full-service marketing agency.
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Session 6 How to create the perfect pitch?
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Tuesday, 25 July 2023
Speaker: Allen Mohammadi (KIT- EnTechnon) Allen Mohammadi outlines the key steps to a perfect pitch. He gives valuable tips on how to present your own business idea as well as your own entrepreneurial personality what ultimately becomes your successful stepping stone. About Allen Allen Mohammadi is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Technology Management and Innovation (EnTechnon) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the co-inventor of the GreenTech company PlasticFri™. As a visionary social entrepreneur, he has been selected by Forbes magazine as one of the most influential entrepreneurs and featured on the prestigious Forbes 30-under-30 list. Allen has received numerous awards, including Alfred Nobel Innovation Prize, Audi Environmental Foundation scholarship, European Youth Award, Gold Medal and Best Inventor Award. In recognition of his positive social impact, he received “European EIT Change Award” and was honored as a young entrepreneurial talent of the year in Europe. |
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Top 5 Startup Winners
They connect exceptional innovation with creativity and entrepreneurial spirit: The five winning start-ups of the TECHGrow module have been selected in the final of the Rally Accelerate competition in Egypt! We look forward to welcoming the finalists to Germany and to KIT in November 2023, where they will get to know the German start-up ecosystem.
Congratulations!
- Tilestic: They have developed an industrial method to convert single-use plastic waste into various building materials such as interlock tiles, paver tiles, and roof tiles.
- Dammg: Dammg is the first online platform in Egypt that connects parents of disabled children with consultants and specialists.
- InterAct Labs: InterAct Labs develops hardware and software products that enhance collaboration, increase engagement, and improve user experience and interactivity.
- notchnco: notchnco offers an omni-channel engagement platform supported by a wide range of messaging channels and solutions for advanced customer authentication and security.
- Eshfaa: Eshfaa is a digital healthcare platform specializing in case management and care coordination for both local and international patients.