A local start-up incubator affiliated with Stellenbosch University (SU), is introducing a number of new entrepreneurship programmes aimed at developing student-startup businesses.
LaunchLab’s entrepreneurial initiative, which is set to launch in October, is exclusively for SU students, according to Helen Fortuin, LaunchLab’s marketing manager.
Fortuin said that the organisation is planning on rolling out these new initiatives in conjunction with their previous ones. These include a virtual student innovation week and a new and easy-to-navigate website.
According to Fortuin, the student innovation week would aim to help students harness and grow potential business ideas.
“With the launch of our newly revamped website in the next few weeks, we are hoping that we will reach a larger audience of students, lecturers – anyone who is interested in working with us,” she said.
Josh Romisher, LaunchLab’s CEO, said that the company is also looking to collaborate with the SU School for Data Science and Computational Thinking to take part in the programme.
“This would take the form of a co-curricular programme where selected students gain access to some of the best technology and data, in order to really launch their potential startups,” said Romisher.
These are exciting times ahead for LaunchLab, he said.
One student member of LaunchLab, Micayla de Wet, said that the implementation of the new programmes will hopefully inspire student innovation.
With the support of LaunchLab, many students will be inspired to become entrepreneurs, she said.
“As a member of the LaunchLab, it is exciting to hear about these new innovations. I’m sure these will be helpful initiatives for students who have businesses or are looking to start their own businesses,” said De Wet.
