AIT Alumni 2024
Next Webinar: Safe-the-Date: Thursday, 16. May, 12h00 – 13h00
Speaker: Ms Susanne Grossmann, SECO Start-up Fund
Theme: “How to fund Swiss-African business collaboration”
More information below (Webinar 6)
Interviews with our AIT Start-Up Companies
Read the key messages about the journey of one of our prominent AIT companies:
Download Growth challenges and Benefits of the AIT Swiss Africa Program
Vision and the (self-) leadership it requires:
Staffing your company:
Recommended reading (on meaningful goal setting): Measure what Matters, John Doerr
Are you interested in reading the whole Interview?
Download the Full-Text-Interview here
AIT Alumni Conference 2024
Save the Date: 2024, November 20th-21th
Starting with a Swiss – South African approach, the program and its focus on initiating and strengthening collaboration in research and innovation has grown into a multinational venture involving Switzerland and South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
Funded on the Swiss side by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) since 2007 participating countries have been contributing in-cash and in-kind to the successful development of this program. Strong partners emerged as the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) in South Africa, the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) of Universities South Africa (USAf), Ministries, Embassies, Universities, private sector stakeholders. They all have been contributing in an important way to take this program to the level at which we can enjoy it today.
2024 will give us the opportunity to celebrate 10+ years of joint university – entrepreneurship action. With start-up companies selected along these years and many of them operating successfully today we will dedicate the Year 2024 to the issue of company growth and address various aspects of it in webinars and on-site meetings.
On this page, you will find the announcement of our webinars and the AIT Swiss Africa Alumni Meeting in South Africa in November 2024.
We look forward to a year of intensive discussion, experience sharing and growing awareness of how much knowledge is available in our own communities and our daily work.
Meet the webinars and founded start-ups on this page.
Social Media
Webinar Series “Challenges of Growth” 2023 – 2024
Webinar 1
The 21st September will kick-off our webinar series with an input from Dr. Moses Kebalepile, researcher at the Wits School of Clinical Medicine (South Africa) and founder of a medtech company, Asthma Grid, a medical device warning of imminent asthma attacks. Dr Kebalepile will share with us the journey of the related tech development, the creation of first funding streams, challenges that he encountered on his company’s growth path and ways of addressing them.
Thursday 21st September 2023, 14:30 – 15:00 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Dr Moses’ advice to other entrepreneurs in a similar field:
The impact of running a startup on an entrepreneur’s mental health:
Speaker
Dr. Moses M. Kebalepile A medical data scientist and research coordinator at the University of the Witwatersrand, in the School of Clinical Medicine. He is also the Founder of a MedTech startup called KTI. Dr Moses graduated with a PhD in Public Health specialising in Computational Epidemiology.His academic research used Artificial Intelligence paradigms (Deep learning, particularly Artificial Neural networks) to study and predict asthma outcomes due to air pollution in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. It was the unique algorithm from this doctoral research that he soft computed into a patented medical device called the Asthma Grid. |
Webinar 2
On 5th of October, a webinar with MLaw Mr Stephan A. Hofer will follow and address the important topic of international visibility of companies. How to set up international business infrastructure and to operate from abroad will be the questions that Mr Hofer will address.
Thursday 5th of October 2023, 12:00 – 12:30 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Find out how the Double Tax Agreement works:
What is the Investment Protection Agreement?
Can non-EU entrepreneurs settle in Switzerland?
Speaker
MLaw Mr. Stephan A. Hofer A lawyer from Switzerland, admitted to the Swiss and Bern Bar since 2013. Since his admission he worked as a legal practitioner for several companies in the financial sector in Geneva and Basel prior to joining business law firm GHR in 2016, where he was promoted to a partner in 2022. Mr. Hofer provides for legal advice in corporate law for Swiss and international SME’s and particularly focuses on restructurings. Furthermore, he is responsible for the privacy law division in the firm, providing legal advice for Swiss companies with special consideration of GDPR.Mr. Hofer heads the Africa Desk within the firm, wherein he cares to maintain cross-continental relationships with fellow lawyers all across Africa, as well as he is further responsible for relationships with Asian clients as well. Since this year, he is elected co-chair of the League of Lawyers, a network of independent law firms with the goal to connect legal practitioners from Asia and Europe. |
Webinar 3
On 26th of October the third webinar will take place. Mr. Mbuso Ngcongo will talk about his workbook that is entitled “In the Beginning: Literacy, Numeracy and Coding the World”.
Mr Mbuso will share insights in his entrepreneurial journey and engage with entrepreneurs present in feedback discussion on talk and suggestions of how to increase sales.
Thursday 26th of October2023, 13:00 – 13:30 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Speaker
Mr. Mbuso Ngcongo
Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of South Africa (UNISA) Founder and CEO of the AIT Startup UMbalabala, an educational toolkit that uses pedagogical methods to advance learning for those at a foundational level of schooling. |
Webinar 4
The fourth webinar will be held on 16th of November. The topic of this webinar will be “How to get your business investor ready?”. Ms. Amne Suedi Kagasheki will give a presentation on this question.
Thursday 16th of November 2023, 13:00 – 13:30 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Speaker
Ms. Amne Suedi Kagasheki
A Swiss and Tanzanian international lawyer turned entrepreneur who founded Shikana Group, a legal and investment advisory firm focusing on foreign investments in Africa. Her company, based in Switzerland and Tanzania, collaborates with entrepreneurs, international companies, and financial institutions investing in East Africa. In 2023, she founded BintiBiz, an education technology company supporting female entrepreneurs in Africa through online courses and mentoring. Ms. Suedi, fluent in French, English, and Kiswahili, has a background in finance and banking and has worked with notable companies, receiving awards like TOP 100 Executive List 2022 and TOP 50 Women in Management in Africa 2023. |
Webinar 5
The fifth webinar will be held on Friday 23th of February. The topic of this webinar will be „How to make your business resilient and how can digital tools help you with this task?“. Mr Dieter Puganigg will give a presentation on the topic “Resilience and Digitization”.
Friday 23th of February 2024, 12:30 – 13:30 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Speaker
Mr Dieter Puganigg
Dieter Puganigg, MSc, is an Executive Consultant and Academic Lecturer specializing in Digital Transformation, Resilience, and Sustainability. He is the founder and CEO of Digiwise e.U. in Vienna, where he leverages 25 years of international corporate leadership experience, notably in IT at HPE, services at Microsoft Corporation, and FMCG at Nestlé Nespresso S.A., with a focus on B2B. In academia, Dieter serves as an Academic Lecturer covering Digital Transformation, E-Strategy, Customer Loyalty, Leadership, Resilience and Sustainability. He also heads a Diploma Program in E-Commerce Management. Dieter holds an MSc in Digital Business from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Vienna and is committed to continuous learning in the dynamic digital landscape. He is a Certified Digital Consultant (ISO 17024), reflecting his dedication to industry excellence. |
Guidelines to develop a resilient organization
Organizational Resilience
Attributes from ISO 22316:
- Resilient leadership
- Knowledge and information
- Resources
- Organizational development
- Designing the future
- Business purpose
- Corporate environment
Business Resilience
Components of a strong business model:
- Market attractiveness
- Customer loyalty
- Scalability
- Cross-selling / Up-selling potential
- Profitability
- Xaas (“Anything” as a service)
- Entry barriers
What to do now for your own business? Describe, understand, measure and develop resilience!
Webinar 6
The sixth webinar will be held on 16th of May. The topic of this webinar will be “How to fund Swiss-African business collaboration”. Ms. Susanne Grossmann from SECO Start-up Fund will give a presentation on this interesting topic.
Thursday 16th May 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST
Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler
Speaker
Ms. Susanne Grossmann
Susanne Grossmann brings a multi-year expertise in private sector finance in emerging markets with a focus on private equity and lending to small- and mid-sized businesses (SMEs). Before joining the SSF Susanne worked 10 years in Swiss development cooperation, followed by several years in the private sector, where she was involved in social projects and impact investing in emerging markets. |
All webinars are of 30 min. and are followed by a Q&A session.
A registration link will be sent out to all alumni companies in due time.
Interactive Map
Securaxis SA
Securaxis turns sound into actionable insights for monitoring and exploitation of urban sound to improve cities’ operations while saving money and to answer citizens’ worries about privacy and sustainability. By combining acoustic, AI and IoT, we pro…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
ETrash2Cash
About Us eTrash2Cash (eT2C Company Nigeria) is the first of its kind social enterprise in northern Nigeria, which embodies the use of technology to solve environmental problems in the low-income communities. Its web, mobile app and SMS platform helps…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
HerHealth Uganda
HerHealth Uganda provide communities with health education and continuous advocacy to empower them to monitor, manage and be more aware of their health conditions through affordable alternatives. They create affordable health care alternatives using…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
Tyncbest Biotechnology
About Us: Tyncbest Biotechnology is established primarily for the research and product developments of medical devices. At the heart of this company, the product development of devices is accomplished by invention and simplified by innovation. Proble…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
TyphGen
Why a test for typhoid fever • TyphGen – a rapid test for typhoid fever, 20 million cases of typhoid fever are registered annually. Majority of the cases involve children from low-income countries. • Contributes 36% of all fever-related illnesses in…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
Aventura.aero
Aventura.aero has revolutionized aviation with the world’s first heavy-duty gyrocopter, designed to excel in challenging climates. Its modular construction meets present and future needs for surveillance, disaster relief, and transportation, providin…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
chiweto
chiweto, en enhancing farmers farm production efficiency & livelihood through MobileTech solutions, provide cow performance status diagnostic mobile phone app., information and insurance services to livestock farmers. Our services help farmers in…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
CommoChain
CommoChain, a platform that brings blockchain to commodity trading, is a Swiss FinTech/CommoTech company based in Geneva. They help companies involved in the international trade of raw materials to increase operational efficiency now and in the futur…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
CosKin
CosKin, a Swiss company, specializes in developing a cutting-edge skin analysis device using multispectral technology, particularly catering to the cosmetics industry. Their mission is to provide skin analysis services tailored to individual skin nee…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
enable | digital
enable|digital developed IT solutions for fast growing companies in emerging markets. They also provided IT advisory and implementation services to companies that provide essential products and services to their customers. enable|digital has enabled…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. April 2024
MPower Ventures
MPower is a climate and fintech start-up that revolutionizes energy access by providing small and medium-scale solar energy infrastructure in developing countries. Using a B2B model that combines hardware, software, and financing solutions, we transf…
Read moreLast Modification: 18. April 2024
anavo medical
The innovative approach from anavo medical tackles the persistent challenge of chronic wounds in modern medicine, exacerbated by conditions like diabetes and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Through collaboration with experts at ETH Zurich…
Read moreLast Modification: 18. April 2024
breathe medical
The “breathe” ventilator is a transport ventilator which intuitive design and robustness to harsh environmental conditions enable doctors to use it with confidence in any circumstances. They provide tailored, easy-to-use, and affordable healthcare so…
Read moreLast Modification: 18. April 2024
Diaxxo
Diaxxo AG, founded in 2020, is a spin-off of the Functional Materials Laboratory (FML) of ETH Zürich. They envision a future where precise and reliable diagnostics can be accessed anywhere by anyone. They believe that thanks to their Point-Of-Care PC…
Read moreLast Modification: 18. April 2024
Ennos
ennos is a Swiss company comprising an interdisciplinary team of experienced engineers and marketing experts, founded in 2016 as a spin-off of Berne University of Applied Sciences. Their commitment lies in developing affordable pumping technologies t…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Testmate Health
Testmate Health, an early-stage healthcare startup, is dedicated to providing low-cost, high-quality, and accurate at-home self-testing solutions. Combining expertise in sexual health and diagnostics, the team is committed to realizing our mission of…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Synature
Synature is a Swiss based startup with the goal of reducing conflicts between animals and humans. Our team is developing an acoustic monitoring technology capable of mapping the location and health of biodiversity without interfering with the ecosyst…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Gaia Tech AG
Gaia Tech, an emerging ETH Spin-off company resulting from the research project ‘Phenoliva,’ financed by EIT Food and hosted at ETH Zurich, specializes in decentralized treatment and valorization of agricultural side-streams. Leveraging proprietary e…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Perovskia Solar AG
PEROVSKIA, a cleantech startup, specializes in customizable perovskite solar cells and has developed digital printing technology to fabricate design-free cells. By enabling solar cells to be tailored around products rather than the other way around,…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Onescope / Pneumoscope
Onescope, a Swiss-based company, revolutionizes the diagnosis and risk stratification of respiratory diseases with an intelligent digital stethoscope, powered by artificial intelligence, designed to automate the evaluation of lung disease. The projec…
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
Gugu
Gugu, an international award-winning South African-based connectivity, digital, and clean energy startup, provides people in townships and villages affordable electricity through the Gugu Energy System (uGES). The founder and CEO is Nkanyiso Madlala….
Read moreLast Modification: 12. April 2024
SWOXID
SWOXID, revolutionizing water and air purification, specializes in a light-sterilizable nanoporous filter technology. Utilizing an innovative aerogel composite filter activated by solar irradiation, it effectively eliminates biological contaminants i…
Read moreLast Modification: 24. November 2023
HR Tech Ventures
HR Tech Ventures, positioned at the intersection of Business and HR strategy, offers tailored methods and tools for skill and persona development, acting as a crucial catalyst for success in dynamic companies. Specializing in personalized talent and…
Read moreLast Modification: 24. November 2023
AgFlow
AgFlow, headquartered in Geneva, at the heart of the commodities industry, is a leading agribusiness market intelligence provider. The company’s comprehensive price discovery, supply & demand, and freight features offer smart and actionable insig…
Read moreLast Modification: 24. November 2023
e-traid gmbh
e-traid gmbh facilitates global market access for SMEs through e-commerce, offering services that range from onboarding to shipping coordination. With a focus on key B2C marketplaces, the clientele includes private and public export development organ…
Read moreLast Modification: 24. November 2023
4bridges GmbH
4bridges is a company based in St. Gallen. The holding company 4cash enhances micropayments with cryptocurrencies, focusing on B2B. Through the subsidiary 4bridges, they provide a seamless API, enabling retail customers to pay in bitcoin, with the re…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
SmartBreed GmbH
SmartBreed revolutionizes insect breeding with on-site solutions. Dedicated to making insect advantages accessible to all, they provide stackable, fully automatic breeding boxes for cost-effective, resource-efficient, and hygienic insect breeding. Th…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
Evodrop AG
Evodrop AG from Zurich specializes in delivering water solutions that address a wide range of concerns, ensuring access to clean, healthy water for individuals, animals, and plants. The innovations cover diverse settings, including homes, workplaces,…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
MEDICUD
MEDICUD, a company based in Lausanne, pioneers innovation in wound healing with a non-powered vacuum-assisted closure device. The focus is on developing and marketing a cost-effective mechanically powered pump, offering a sustainable alternative to t…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
Risklick
Risklick, a company based in Bern, pioneers AI solutions for clinical trial risk analysis. The data-driven tool empowers biopharma companies, CROs, and hospitals to identify similar trials and assess risks early in protocol design. With a focus on re…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
Zaio
Zaio, a South African startup company, offers an Online Learning Management System (LMS) with various learning journeys in coding education. Zaio also creates and delivers customized learning programs for companies to upskill their employees or aid t…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
Igugu Clean Tech
Igugu Clean Tech is a South African startup company that aims to produce biodiesel from nicotine-free tobacco plants for a cleaner, more environmentally friendly option than traditional diesel. The founder is Ms Zinhle Ngidi. Winner of the AIT-SASBI…
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
NG Trail
Trail NG is a Nigeria-based ed-tech startup company that has created a platform enabling companies to identify skills gaps in their employees. The owner is Mr Mubarak Lawal of the University of Ibadan. Winner of the AIT-SASBI Spring Conference 2023.
Read moreLast Modification: 23. November 2023
Inqaba Biotechnical Industries (Pty) Ltd.
DNA Synthesis and Sequencing African high-tech helps shaping life science, health, food and agriculture in Africa Inqaba Biotechnical Industries (Pty) Ltd. was founded in 2001 by Swiss and German molecular biologists and has its headquarters in Preto…
Read moreLast Modification: 19. October 2023
UMbalabala
UMbalabala Education Toolkit is a collection of novel methods and apparatuses for making learning, teaching and assessment easy. Especially for Foundation Phase of education. The educational toolkit uses pedagogical methods to enhance the learning of…
Read moreLast Modification: 7. July 2023
Ileemore
Ileemore, a start-up company from Nigeria, is an AI-powered e-learning platform that helps Anglophone West Africa secondary school students prepare for matriculation examination through a dynamic pedagogy and learning analytics. The Co-founder and CE…
Read moreLast Modification: 7. July 2023
Smart Class
The start-up company Smart Class from Rwanda offers an online learning platform which aims to connect all Rwandan high school students learning similar academic subjects and provide them with access to valuable learning materials and high-quality tea…
Read moreLast Modification: 7. July 2023
Mutware Educate
Mutware Educate is an Edtech start-up company from Rwanda that aims to boost education from traditional to digital learning. They provide an education platform with curriculum-based engaging content for nursery students and adults’ self-paced learnin…
Read moreLast Modification: 2. June 2023
Ambani Africa
Ambani Africa is an award-winning South African EdTech company that specializes in educational products and services. They are a culture-centric and future-facing technology company that offers engaging solutions for the benefit of learners, parents,…
Read moreLast Modification: 2. June 2023
Vambo Academy
Vambo Academy, a South African startup company, provides tools and spaces for learners to explore, experience, and learn about African languages, cultures, traditions, people, and more at their own pace. Vambo Academy offers language learning and tra…
Read moreLast Modification: 2. June 2023
Rwanda Green Lighting
Rwanda Green Lighting, a startup from Rwanda, harnesses airborne electrical energy to power street lights and areas still off the grid in Rwanda. The Chief Executive Officer is Ms Diane Mumararungu. Winner of the AIT-SASBI Spring Conference 2023 and…
Read moreLast Modification: 2. June 2023
LolaGreen
Cape Town based startup Lola Green converts waste products into sustainable construction materials. The founder is Mr Matimba Mabonda. Winner of the AIT-SASBI Spring Conference 2023 and participant of the Swiss Residency Week in Basel (Switzerland)….
Read moreLast Modification: 2. June 2023
Derma2Go
Problem Research indicates that currently 69% of dermatologists are over 50 years old in Germany (Kis et al., 2017). It can be assumed that in 15 years there will be an undersupply of practicing dermatologists which implies inadequate medical care. T…
Read moreLast Modification: 24. May 2023
IcanFarm – Kilimo ni Mali
The Problem: Access to affordable credit Over 90% of the sub-Saharan Africa’s 48 million smallholder farmers lack access to formal credit. Less than 6% of commercial loan recipients are smallholder farmers. Source: FAQ In Kenya, only about 10% of sma…
Read moreLast Modification: 17. April 2020
Soso Care: My Healthcare and I
About Soso Care: is a social enterprise that aims to use garbage as a financial resource to enable millions of uninsured slum dwellers especially pregnant women and kids to access micro health insurance as well as micro capital for petty trade. Our P…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
Pennysmart – Next generation bank for African millennials.
One Line Pitch: Next generation bank for African millennials. Business Summary: Pennysmart is the next generation digital bank that helps Ghanaians save anytime, anywhere with no cost. We are a Tier-4 Operator under Bank of Ghana rules and regulation…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
Inocul8 – Inoculated, Protected, Safe.
Problem In Africa over half a million people including adults and children die from vaccine preventable diseases: such as pneumonia, rota virus, hepatitis B, cervical cancer, typhoid fever, amongst others, due to limited access to vaccination service…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
MPOWER VENTURES – eMPowering local entrepreneurs as the major driving force of solar energy in emerging markets
MPower is a tech4impact venture tackling the challenges of energy access and financial inclusion in emerging markets. As local SMEs are key to the socioeconomical development of these countries, MPower creates a B2B platform to empower the next gener…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
Enable | Digital
Problem Enable has identified a significant problem in a highly underserved market: IT solutions for impact ventures in emerging markets. In order to access the market, Enable has developed both a set of innovative technologies as well as a solid pr…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
CommoChain
CommoChain is a web-based solution that allows Coffee Exporters to better track their samples and manage exporting documents. It delivers efficiency & traceability benefits to ultimately provide best coffee to clients. Pains for Coffee Exporters…
Read moreLast Modification: 16. April 2020
Global Enterprise Monitor: Exploratory Kick-off in Western Africa
The grant request helped to support a Swiss-Western African scientific workshop at the University of Ouagadougou 2, Burkina Faso, in spring 2015 for 3 full days. The scientific workshop was intended to gather Swiss scientists and Western African scie…
Read moreLast Modification: 30. December 2018