Five finalists for ‘The Venture’ announced
JOBURG – Following the successful launch of the second installment of the Chivas Regal, The Venture, initiative, five local finalists have been announced.
The launch of the second edition of the global entrepreneurship competition took place in Hyde Park last year and was attended by actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, a nominee for The Oscars.
Sibusiso Shangase, head of marketing of Chivas Regal, spoke briefly on the growth and impact of the initiative.
“Year two of The Venture has shown us that South Africa is home to innovative people who are ready to change the communities they live in and beyond.
“The number of entries received doubled from year one, [which] made the selection process challenging.”
Shangase also explained that the South African winner would go on to represent the country as a global finalist and stood a chance of winning a share of $1million [about R168 677 500] in funding and resources.
Furthermore, all the finalists will take part in the initiative’s Accelerator Week, where they will receive training and business advice as well as mentoring from some of the most influential names in business.
The first two local finalists comprise I’m Not Plastic, a ‘plants to plastics’ concept resulting in a single waste stream for both food waste and bioplastic products; and Mama Mimi’s, a business started by a baker and a businessman who uses wood-fired bakeries to create baked goods while maintaining a sustainable community business. Safe and Sound is another finalist which focuses on connecting deaf people with hearing people and other life-saving sounds prevalent in our surroundings.
The last two finalists are Connectmed and CrashDetech. Connectmed is a video-based tele-medicine platform which allows patients to connect over video and CrashDetech is a Smartphone application which runs in the background of your cellphone while automatically detecting serious accidents and reducing response times by locating the scene of the accident.
The Venture was launched in 2014 as a way to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and to be part of the change of direction businesses need to take with regards to supporting new businesses.
The winner of the South African leg of the competition will be announced on 14 January at the Inanda Polo Club.
Details: www.theventure.com
