Next generation technology incubator and accelerator

I have had the opportunity to participate in the technology ecosystem in Kenya and Africa at large as the sector finds its feet and interacted with inspiring people as they invest in, and build, the sector.

The personification of this progress is the different hubs, labs and accelerators all working towards a sustainable innovation pipeline which will ensure the output of entrepreneurial ventures or birth of products and services that have a sizable impact both on the social front and profits.

We have seen the blending of different methods and models ranging from co-working spaces with no strings attached, to accelerators with in-house faculty and mentors, to incubators with time sensitive targets.

All have varying amounts of success; measured more by organisational objectives rather than utopia. I would like to pique your interest on the opportunity that still exists in this space with a view that it could be the most sustainable yet.

The labs sprinkled across Africa have done one thing well; make it possible for people to meet and build symbiotic networks, often times resulting in the creation of a startup.

Great teams are the essence of any successful venture. Marry that with a big enough opportunity and capital and you easily have many parts of the proverbial startup equation.

The opportunity and capital lie within slow moving corporate giants which, while willing and eager to innovate, are stifled by the bureaucracy that comes with listing at the stock market or corporate bloat acquired over the years.

The next generation accelerator will be one that taps the available high quality talent which converges at hubs, figures out the best organisation model; fluid teams or corporate structure, and finally locks down a business model that sees them scratch the corporate itch sustainably.

The symbiotic nature of the resultant ecosystem will allow the engaged corporate to proof itself — with the possibility of tax breaks if lobbied, provide startup teams with an opportunity to focus and cut their teeth working on identified problems — even as they push the boundaries and think beyond the problem statement, and finally allows for the accelerator to go commercial and afford for itself capable human resource to make the model work.

Njihia is CEO of Symbiotic

Twitter - @mbuguanjihia