Garage48, Innovation Village to connect innovators and tech-enabled start-ups across EAC

Garage48 and The Innovation Village are discussing ways in which ecosystem builders can be revitalised to support innovators and entrepreneurs’ needs within East Africa.

Speaking at an event in Kampala, Arthur Mukembo, the Lead at FutureLab Studio at Innovation Village noted the start-up ecosystem needs collaboration to scale.

He said: "The ESC workshop will provide our local entrepreneurs with the platform to network with their counterparts in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, understand their strength, leverage on the available opportunities and strengthen our collaboration with key players in the East Africa Entrepreneurial Support Organisations."

He said the growth challenges mapped out by entrepreneurs at the early and later stage during the workshop, is intended to develop a best practice manual on tackling these issues and act as a resource guide on the opportunities, funding and investment sources.

"We want to see how you can enable Ugandan startups to expand into each of your markets as well. Ultimately, we are stronger together and have a great opportunity in the East African Community, Africa Continental Free Trade Area," Mukembo emphasized.

Joao Rei, Host and Mentor at Garage 48 said by engaging more start-up communities across Africa, they will be able to create cross-border connections and form a team of think tanks who understand Africa’s start-up most pressing challenges.

"Today, we are discussing startups, the problems they face in the East African region, and how we as a community of supporters of the ecosystem can help them. Building a startup starts with the idea and I have realized that within the African context, and sometimes we do not want to tell people about the idea. As an ecosystem, we must find a way of helping the startups to loosen up regarding this. This rigidity doesn’t help our ecosystem," Rei said.