Grindstone Accelerator 2022 for South African Startups: Grindstone is always looking for high-growth innovative scale-ups to join us. If you would like to be considered for one of our future programmes please submit your application.
Grindstone has joined forces with the SA SME Fund, Deloitte, Thinkroom, Knife Capital,Microsoft for Startups, Webber Wentzel, ABSA and Google for Startups. The programme is aimed at entrepreneurs who are ready to take their businesses to the next level.
READ ALSO: Australia Awards Africa Short Course 2022-2023 For Africans
Grindstone Accelerator 2022 for South African Startups.
Favourable funding support will also be provided to the 20 Grindstone Companies to enable them to de-risk and close the initial growth gaps identified.
In addition to Knife Capital’s Funding Readiness Course: Find-Make-Grow-Realise, there will be 6 x 1-day workshops over the year…
- Culture & Strategy
- Sales & Marketing
- Market Positioning & Messaging
- Technical
- Finance, Valuation and Exit
- Legal compliance & IP
Grindstone Accelerator Eligibility Criteria.
To be eligible to join Grindstone, your company needs to be:
- A South African registered company
- Post-revenue with some customer traction
- A dynamic team of awesome people
- Innovative business offering with a clear competitive differentiator
- Scalable business model
Grindstone Programmes
We run a number of different programmes, from our coveted GrindstoneXL programme annually to tailored niche programmes for corporates. This is how you can get involved.
GrindstoneXL programme
Every year a limited number of scale-up entrepreneurs participate in our highly successful GrindstoneXL programme, where participants are taken through a nine-month duration of intense learning, scaling and growth by looking at everything required to become highly fundable. We take a deconstructed due diligence approach and cover topics from value proposition to delivery methods to pricing, customer acquisition and retention, IP, people management and financial and governance processes. Business fundamentals are covered in detail with the aim of making scale-ups highly fundable. We do a call annually for participants, and of the 100s who apply, a maximum of twenty are selected for the programme. Don’t miss the boat if you are a scale-up ready for further growth!
Sponsorships
Grindstone has various programmes and streams that we run on an annual basis. Corporates and funders can sponsor one or many different streams under the sponsorship option, suited to their needs. Sponsorship carries a base amount as well as options such as sponsoring free advice, mentoring, office space, meeting rooms, etc.
Corporate Programmes
Corporates can allocate funding to bespoke programmes they want to run through innovation budgets, Enterprise Development or Skills Development budgets for entrepreneurs who meet their objectives, and who are in their supply chain objectives. Grindstone tailor-makes the programme curriculum based on the client’s needs.
Online Academy
Our online academy has the content you need as an entrepreneur, in short, consumable units, to improve your skills and knowledge in areas including Culture & Strategy; Sales & Marketing; Market Positioning & Messaging; IP, Product & Technical; Finance, Valuation and Exit; HR; and Legal Compliance. The online videos and content allow you to learn at your own pace.
FMGR Course
Our flagship Find – Make – Grow – Realise participative, case-study-driven course is designed to provide entrepreneurs and those working with entrepreneurs an understanding of building and growing business and equipping participants on how to prepare for and find investment.
Donor Funding
Donors can allocate funding to bespoke programmes they want to run through their funds from budgets allocated to entrepreneurial development. Robust monitoring and evaluation, as well as bespoke reporting forms part of the value proposition of donor-funded run programmes.
Assessments
We believe that for true growth to occur in any business, it is imperative that a view is taken of the entrepreneur as well as the business. We have a range of assessments that we use to find a baseline for both the entrepreneur and the business.
How Many Scholarships will be Given?
20
What is the Benefit of Grindstone Accelerator?
Grindstone has joined forces with the SA SME Fund, Deloitte, Thinkroom, Knife Capital,Microsoft for Startups, Webber Wentzel, ABSA and Google for Startups. The programme is aimed at entrepreneurs who are ready to take their businesses to the next level.
Business support resources and services will include elements of training, corporate advisory, coaching, mentorship and funding. Specific interventions for each company include a structured gap analysis, understanding of the company value system, building a digital go-to-market strategy, financial modelling, intellectual property assessment, strategic and financial valuation as well as populating a data room.
Favourable funding support will also be provided to the 20 Grindstone Companies to enable them to de-risk and close the initial growth gaps identified.
In addition to Knife Capital’s Funding Readiness Course: Find-Make-Grow-Realise, there will be 6 x 1-day workshops over the year…
- Culture & Strategy
- Sales & Marketing
- Market Positioning & Messaging
- Technical
- Finance, Valuation and Exit
- Legal compliance & IP
Through Grindstone, Knife Capital forms long-term partnerships with scale-up entrepreneurs for a shared upside. Grindstone would not be possible if it wasn’t for our Programme partners who generously contribute their knowledge, services, time and funding.
How to Apply for Grindstone Accelerator:
This questionnaire kicks off the application process and helps us to establish if your company is eligible to join the programme. It contains 45 questions and takes on average less than 30 minutes to complete.
It is important to go through all application requirements before applying.
All company information provided will be kept confidential as required by POPIA and GDPR. You consent to provide us with your contact information in compliance with POPIA & GDPR will be required.
The applicant submitting the company information is authorised by the company to do so and the information is accurate and up-to-date on the date of submission.
