Supporting innovative entrepreneurship
People born in fortunate circumstances are extremely accustomed to the current digital societies. They use apps to shop, to call a taxi, to sort their bank affairs online via online banking, and so much more. Rural communities or people born in less fortunate circumstances need their own solutions, relevant to their own needs and local settings. And who is more knowledgeable than the entrepreneurs in those communities?
Leap 2 is part of the new strategy of Close the Gap. This program supports young African entrepreneurs developing and scaling digital solutions for societal issues. Concretely, Close the Gap organises innovation challenges with GoodUp.
The process
Per innovation challenge, 10 projects are selected and coached. The selected teams learn to test their ideas on the market through crowdfunding. They receive matching funding when they reach their crowdfunding goals. In addition, they learn how to pitch and expand their network with the help of experts, coaches and potential investors.
Example
Of the 600.000 motorbikes in Kenya, 12.000 are stolen every year. The finalist of the first innovation challenge (in Kenya Spring 2017), Btrack Global, helps resolve this issue by installing a tracking device into the motorcycle.
