In a global partnership with Startup Guide, the SAP Next-Gen program aims to connect purpose-driven entrepreneurs in Cape Town and across South Africa to its global innovation-with-purpose community.
On August 6, SAP Next-Gen joined Startup Guide in Cape Town to announce that Startup Guide is bringing its entrepreneurial guidebook series to Cape Town in partnership with Silicon Cape and with support from SAP Next-Gen.
Entrepreneurs, accelerators, co-working spaces and experts can now be nominated to be featured in Startup Guide Cape Town, the first-ever entrepreneurial handbook dedicated to Cape Town’s startup scene. Based on traditional guidebooks that can be carried around everywhere, Startup Guide books help entrepreneurs navigate different startup hubs across the globe and are now in 17 different cities across Europe, the US and the Middle East, including London, New York, Berlin, Tel Aviv and Stockholm. SAP Next-Gen is a sponsor of Startup Guide books in many cities globally.
Packed with city essentials, practical information, in-depth interviews and insightful tips, Startup Guide Cape Town will guide, empower and inspire entrepreneurs in the coastal South African city to transform their startup ideas into reality. To ensure an accurate and trustworthy guide, the book is co-created with the local startup community, from 6 – 20 August, 2018, and anyone in the community can contribute by nominating candidates they’d like to see in the book.
“One of the most active hubs for startup investment on the continent, Cape Town is attracting more and more entrepreneurs with its relatively low cost of living, diverse pool of talent, and growing ecosystem of investors, accelerators, incubators, and co-working spaces ready to support early stage entrepreneurs,” said Sissel Hansen, founder and CEO of Startup Guide. “We’re excited to be stepping into South Africa’s startup scene for the first time and highlighting the people and places shaping Cape Town’s growing entrepreneurial community.”
For Startup Guide Cape Town, Startup Guide has partnered with Silicon Cape, which will be the main project facilitator and supporter while the main sponsor for the project is SAP Next-Gen.
“The launch of Startup Guide Cape Town will plug a very real hole for many startups in South Africa, which once they are formed need to understand the ‘what, how, with whom, and where’ of getting help and inspiration as key ingredients to get their startup going and growing,” said Cathy Smith, managing director of SAP Africa.
Innovation with Purpose Meets Innovation 3.0
“Startup Guide Cape Town will enable startups to connect with accelerator programs, matchmaking services and corporate innovation initiatives, accelerating Africa as a frontier of innovation 3.0,” said Ann Rosenberg, senior vice president and global head of SAP Next-Gen. “By extending our global partnership with Startup Guide to Cape Town, local entrepreneurs can connect globally to the SAP Next-Gen ‘innovation with purpose’ network of more than 3,600 educational institutions in 113 countries as well as accelerators, tech community partners, venture firms, futurists, purpose driven institutions and SAP digital innovation experts.”
Entrepreneurs in Cape Town can also build their global networks through connections to more than 73 SAP Next-Gen Chapter locations, which are think tanks at universities around the world focused on re-imagining a future where digital technologies enable solutions to the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Startups in Cape Town, across South Africa and beyond can join a global movement to make technology and innovation work better for women and girls through the #sheinnovates Girls’ Lounges which in collaboration with The Female Quotient are opening globally among the more than 100 SAP Next-Gen Lab locations at campuses, aiming to foster STEM skills and careers among young women and girls in support of the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change (GICC). The first #sheinnovates Girls’ Lounge in Africa opened earlier this month at University of Cape Town.
Join the conversation on Twitter with @StartupGuideHQ, @SAPNextGen, and @SiliconCape, and by using the hashtag #sheinnovates.
SAP Next-Gen connects companies around the world to purpose-driven academic thought leaders and researchers, students, startups, accelerators, partners, venture firms, futurists, and SAP experts to reimagine the future of industries and the intelligent enterprise, seed in disruptive innovation with startups, and build skills for digital futures. Customers can benefit from services as well as events where digital innovators come together in an open “innovation with purpose” community to foster the future of industries with the latest technologies from SAP and in support of the company’s commitment to the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
