UCT’s Genesis Project Expo to showcase student start-up businesses

Jul 8, 2022 admin 216 Views

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UCT: Supporting start-ups (Picture: Gallo images/ Getty images)

The UCT Genesis Project will highlight businesses that focus on innovation.
Genesis promises to give students a taste and introduction to the world of entrepreneurship.
More than 550 students were introduced to the entrepreneurs, and more than 80 student start-ups have been launched.
Top business leaders, angel investors and venture capitalists scout the expo.
For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Genesis Project will be hosting a showcase of eight promising student businesses on 10 August 2022.

The UCT Genesis Project will highlight businesses that focus on innovations like a grey-water recycling system, an innovative edtech platform, and a strategy for re-tooling ATM machines.

The Genesis programme was started over 10 years ago with the goal of providing support to get students to understand how to run a business.

The idea was to school those in the Honours-level Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (PDE) programme, in concepts like raising start-up capital in innovative ways, to day-to-day operations management.

“Genesis promises to give students a real taste and introduction into the world of entrepreneurship,” says Genesis course convenor and Lecturer, Stuart Hendry.

Hendry makes the point that some things simply cannot be learned in the classroom.

“Students must learn while they must earn. I don’t mean just the rigours of an academic curriculum but must learn to deliver under pressure and with minimal.”

The programme has had some success, with more than 550 students introduced to the entrepreneurs and over 80 student start-ups launched.

The expo is not just a showcase, it’s also an event where the students can show off their talent to top business leaders, angel investors and venture capitalists who will be attending.

Though the expo could boost the students’ career prospects, it also considers the social and economic challenges facing South Africa.

This can be seen in the theme for this year’s class being: “Empowering four million unemployed, South African youth to improve their lives in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way.”

The Genesis Project 2022 teams include:

Üna – a manual grey water recycling system aimed at improving the quality of life and increasing water security within the informal sector.

Nass Incorporated – A platform that provides a space for experienced entrepreneurs to connect with aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups. It provides a practical way of learning that comes from a mentor/mentee type of relationship

e-Kamva – Participants learn all that they need to know about the transition into the professional working environment from industry professionals with decades of experience and put their newly acquired knowledge to the test in fun and innovative ways.

RentALL – An online community-based rental marketplace for both the listing and renting of camping, sporting, or outdoor equipment. This platform aims to reduce consumerism by providing an affordable and sustainable way for individuals to utilise the equipment for a useful period of time.

Book Bugz – A slim-line hanging fabric shelf that acts as a book display designed to capture the attention of aspiring readers both in schools and in homes where space is limited.

Hemp Studios – A start-up which focuses on creating sustainable products. The aim is to provide products that are sustainable in their design, function, raw materials, and manufacturing process all the way to how they are sold and then distributed. Our flagship product is our Hemp Tote which is made of 55% hemp and 45% cotton.

JOVO – A business that seeks to resolve the grey water challenge in townships.

Team New Gen – A recovery wheelchair to facilitate the recovery for disabled patients with bed pressure sores