#7 | The Agile Growth Entrepreneur Newsletter
This week I explore Part 2 of 5 on “How To Get Your First 5,000 Online Customers.” The Internet connects individuals to billions of pages on any imaginable topic. There must be a forum where people...
Welcome to this week's Agile Growth Entrepreneur Newsletter
The Internet connects individuals to billions of pages on any imaginable topic. There must be a forum where people can discuss their business or specialty issues.
These are the places where people are most active on the Internet. Upvotes and downvotes are the fuel that propels social news to the main page of the Internet. This is the type of news that tends to get far more momentum among early startup customers than more conventional forms of media coverage.
Learn where these groups are and join them. It’s important to find out where your target market is, discuss issues you can address, or search for products like yours. You may locate customers, share knowledge, expand your professional network, and hone your skills. What this means is growth for your business and you personally.
Pan - African Startup Stories
“The wrong co-founder will bring your startup to the ground” – Eunice Ajim of Ajim Capital - Techpoint Africa
New report examines Africa’s growth in the digital economy and VC investment landscape - TechCrunch
Local funding for early-stage startups is taking off in Africa - QZ
African startups are raising unprecedented amounts. What next? - The Economist
African VC investor talks opportunities in skincare, social commerce and more - How We Made It In Africa
Fundraising: It’s a Marathon not a Sprint - Standford Business
How Wave rose to become Francophone Africa’s first unicorn - QZ
How Nigerian fintech startup, ZirooPay is driving financial inclusion with unique mobile POS technology - Business Insider
Pan - African Startup News
Kenyan VC firm FrontEentures unveils fund to back local founders - TechCrunch
Africa embraces crypto to fund welfare, development projects - Business Day South Africa
AfricInvest, Cathay Assocation seal €110m final close of Africa-focused VC fund - AltAssets
Cassava Technologies secures $50m funding to accelerate digital transformation in Africa - Business AM Live
Nigeria becomes Fifth African Country to approve a Startup Bill - Tech Build Africa
African startups to benefit from US$112 million CAIF funding - News Ghana
Fintech Startup Bloom receives $6.5M Seed Round Investment - Tech Build Africa
Fintech Remains Leading Industry in Africa’s Emerging Venture Markets - Moroco World News
Venture Studio Stories
Why Are Startup Studios Growing Fast? - Startup Studios
How and Why Corporates Co-found Startups With Venture Studios
Genesis Vault Capital Introduces Web3 Venture Studio to Support DAOs - Crowd Fund Insider
The Venture Studio Index is a free, public database of venture studios and their startups.
They are currently tracking 108 venture studios and 543 venture studio startups, growing at ~10% and ~20% per year, respectively.
The public database is available here. This initial version was created through hundreds of hours of research on studio portfolio pages, press releases and LinkedIn. See methodology and data limitations for additional background.
We believe this is the first and only database of its kind.
Venture Studio News
Venture studio Adanian Labs fuels startup growth in Africa - TechCrunch
Persistent Venture Studio Partners With SolarTaxi To Expand To West Africa - Clean Technia
CoCreate Ventures and PES University to invest in 50 start-up
Startup Studio Indonesia opens for fifth batch, seeks 15 startups - Tech In Asia
Venture Studio U: The University as an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem - High Noon Alpha
Wilbur Labs: The Startup Studio Reinventing Company Building - Startup Studios
What I’m Reading
In Pursuit - Journeys in African Entrepreneurship chronicles the journeys of two friends whose experiences in America shaped their approach to starting their own businesses in Nigeria. Drawing on their experiences of working, building and supporting business, and exposure to multimillion-dollar projects around the world, they uncover what it takes to own, run, and grow a profitable business.
Through their personal insights, they relay information relevant not only to entrepreneurs and investors seeking to do business in Nigeria, but anywhere on the globe—after all, the heart of business is human interaction. Their conversational banter-jab style, for which they're known in person and on social media, invites readers into their circle where they can share the wisdom gained through continuous pursuits to fulfill their dreams.
Business and life intersect. No matter your goal, you're not crazy, and no, you're not alone! Through In Pursuit, two Bendel boys invite you to laugh, yell, and reflect, as they converse from head and heart.
The Week in Podcasts
African Pre-seed #03 Part 2: Can healthtech startups cover the gaps in Africa’s healthcare systems?
The Secret Sauce for Startup and Scaling Success with Guest Jose Graca