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Grindstone is a structured entrepreneurship development programme that assists high-growth innovation-driven companies to get the fundamental building blocks in place to scale quickly and become sustainable and fundable.

Grindstone offers a range of programmes:

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. 

Sponsorships

Grindstone has

Startupbootcamp AfriTech is the leading accelerator for startups, supporting and scaling innovative and disruptive technology companies across the African Continent. The Startupbootcamp AfriTech office is located in the old Foundry in Greenpoint at Ideas Cartel, which operates under Inner City Ideas Cartel.

Currently, Startupbootcamp AfriTech has the ASIP Accelerator Program running. 

The ASIP Accelerator is anchored by leading corporate sponsor Telecel Group an entity that aims to support the next generation of early-stage African tech startups disrupting key industry verticals that include

The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) is a platform of programs and initiatives aimed at growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem that will become a think tank for creating jobs, accelerating innovation and strengthening good entrepreneurial and professional practice. Founded by entrepreneurs and businesses, The Network is open to businesses that seek to make a national impact.

TEN Mission:

• Expanding the number of ordinary citizens working for or starting firms and businesses around Lesotho.
• Increasing understanding between the new and traditional elements of emerging startup communities and

The Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) is a public enterprise that is wholly owned by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.  SEDCO is an organization established to create, develop and promote Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Kingdom of Eswatini and exists primarily to stimulate homegrown entrepreneurship with sustainable economic growth through entrepreneurship development and growth. 

SEDCO provides the following interventions to MSMEs:

• Capacity Development
• Business Counselling & Advisory
• Legal Consultation & Advisory
• Business Incubation
• Business

Junior Achievement Eswatini (JAE), exists for the purpose of equipping the youth with much needed financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills, enabling the youth to contribute and succeed in the local and global economy. JAE is a not for profit organisation, and a member of JA Worldwide. JA is an organization that offers business and entrepreneurial education programs to young people aged between 14-35 years. JA is a trend-setter in investing and encouraging young people to own their future economic success in the 21st-century global marketplace by focusing on the impact

The Global Entrepreneurship Network Namibia operates the GEN Accelerates platform support for women and youth-led programs in Namibia aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth.

Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise (Rise) is a US and Lesotho registered non-profit social enterprise. Through professional networks in the design and architecture industry, Rise links aspiring entrepreneurs in vulnerable communities in low income sub-Saharan African countries to essential resources they do not otherwise have access to. Resources provided include technical and soft skills, business and entrepreneurship training, work experience in the built environment sector, mentorship, referrals to customers, access to market and other business incubation services. 

Rise Offerings: 

Isle is an independent technology and innovation consultancy that brings together technical and commercial specialists to facilitate relationships. Isle teams are highly skilled engineers and scientists with extensive and diverse consulting expertise.

Isle’s core capabilities lie in:

• Identifying, qualifying and quantifying market opportunities;
• Identifying and assessing novel technological solutions;
• Facilitating relationships to accelerate technology development and commercialisation, including co-ordinating, managing and delivering innovation projects;
• Maintaining relationships with a

The global Technology Approval Group (TAG) is a forum for connecting innovators with people whose job it is to seek out new technology on behalf of large public and private sector organisations. Current themes include municipal water/wastewater, industrial water, and cleantech in the built environment.

The TAG programme is funded by over 150 large organisations around the world. Technology companies participate for free, and innovations are considered purely on technical and commercial merit. 

Participation benefits:

• Unique opportunity to connect directly with potential customers
• Acceler

Endeavor South Africa is a mission-driven, global organization leading the high-impact entrepreneurship movement in the country. The values that guide Endeavor start with putting entrepreneurs first because they are an organization of, by and for entrepreneurs. Endeavor is built on a network of mutual trust and respect and constantly strives to multiply impact where ever possible while always looking to pay it forward.

Endeavor assists Entrepreneurs with the following:

Mentors and Networks – that provide expert mentorship to founders on strategy and execution as well as market access