PAST EVENT
How to navigate early-stage startup hurdles in Cape Town
Thursday, 29 February | 6 - 8pm
Innovation City, Darter Studios, Darter Road, Longkloof, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001
How can founders navigate the challenges of an early-stage startup to gain traction in a market? Join us for a live in-person conversation where we’ll delve into the common hurdles faced by founders and share insights on how to overcome them.
- From product development to market validation, team building, and securing initial traction, our expert speakers will share their experiences and practical advice to help founders navigate the early stages of a startup journey with confidence.
Whether you’re a founder, investor, or simply curious about the startup ecosystem, this event is for you.
Our Panel
Our panel will explore
What are the emerging success models for these types of collaboration
The skills and capabilities needed to make these collaborations work
Best practices around the investment or acquisition process
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Karl Nchite
CEO and Co-founder - CatalyzU
Karl was born in Botswana to Swedish and Zambian entrepreneurs but spent most of his upbringing in South Africa where he attended university. He started his career as a research associate at Goodwell Investments, an impact-focused venture capital firm with €350 million AUM, and quickly rose to become an investment associate. Today, he manages two portfolio companies and serves as an observer on their boards. Karl co-founded Young African Catalysts, a tech-enabled ecosystem to help young Africans upskill, hire talent, and attract investment.
Alex Schmid
CEO & Founder – Contro
Alex Schmid is the Founder and CEO of Contro, a digital aggregation health tech platform, focusing on stigmatized healthcare areas. Contro offers all South Africans affordable, discreet and convenient access to virtual consultations, on-demand pathology services and free medication delivery for stigmatised healthcare services.
Since June 2021 Contro has gone on to raise over R10 million of funding from recognisable funds such as Plug & Play and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Alex and his founding team have put it to good use. Contro has facilitated the treatment of over 7,000 patients across South Africa, and delivered over 30,000 medication parcels across the country, marking a significant impact on healthcare access within South Africa.
Before Contro, Alex started his career in London at silver circle firm Macfarlanes LLP, where he trained and qualified as an English Solicitor.
Anthony William Catt
Manager and Founder – Ventures54
With a decade of experience in start-up ecosystem building and investment across EMEA, Anthony is the founder of Ventures 54 a Pan-Africa ecosystem-building advisory firm focused on mobilising global investors and capital into the Africa tech ecosystem. Providing support to Government institutions, DFIs, Venture Capital Funds & Ecosystem Support Organisations between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is also the co-founder of London Africa Network, the UK’s biggest community of leaders operating in the UK-Africa tech, startup and investment corridor. He was the first Investor in Residence for Google for Startups, EMEA, helping lead its first European-Africa startup investment programme and now an advisor to the Google Black Founders Fund in Africa.