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Future Founders Program
Embark on an entrepreneurial journey with the Future Founders Program at your university and master the essentials of building a high-growth technology startup. This comprehensive program equips you with practical skills across key areas including ideation, market research, business modeling, financial analysis, product development, marketing, and sales. Through our program, you will not only learn but also apply these skills in real-world scenarios, significantly increasing your chances of acquiring your first customers. Indeed, 80% of our past participants got their first customers during the program.
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Noah Mesfin
Tech Pipeline & Support
How it works
Call For Applications
Fill out an application form to tell us about your idea and yourself. This is your opportunity to showcase your innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Selection Of Future Founders
Candidates are carefully selected based on their potential and their commitment to pursuing entrepreneurship. This phase involves a highly selective process and ensures a cohort of motivated and innovative students.
Phase 1: Idea Generation & Validation
Kickstart your journey by generating, refining your idea and validating its market potential. Participants are also guided in forming effective teams to take their concepts forward, emphasizing complementary skills and shared vision. This phase has three core elements:
- Exposure to business models, trends, value chains, founder journeys, industry problems.
- Soft Skills to boost productivity and mental health
- Idea generation as a continuous practice based on the exposure workshops to eventually find a viable idea.
Outcome – Phase 1: Participants have a viable Idea.
Phase 2: MVP & Business Model Validation
Develop a minimum viable product (MVP) to represent your idea. This phase focuses on turning conceptual ideas into tangible prototypes that can be tested and improved based on user feedback. This happens during practical training / internship; usually a minimum of 8 weeks (about 2 months) full-time. It consists of bootcamps, workshops, mentorship with industry as well as startup experts and a lot of practical field work. This phase is critical for gaining early traction and validating the product’s fit in the market environment.
Outcome – Phase 2: Participants have their first product and first users / costumers.
Phase 3: Growth & Scaling: Join Catalyzer + Unlock Investments
Successful ventures enter the Catalyzer, a two-year incubation program, where you focus on scaling their operations and potentially unlocking additional investment, through investor connections.
This includes tailored mentorship and access to a broader network of investors. This will be done through weekly sessions with StartHub expert venture associates supporting them to build their growth strategy and structures, be legally compliant, build a strong team, and position themselves in the market and in front of investors.
What You Will Gain from Future Founders Program
Learn & Build
From learning what it takes to start and grow an innovative high-growth technology startup, to building one yourself. You will learn practical entrepreneurship skills in ideation, market research, business modelling, financial analysis, marketing, sales and product development.
Unlock Funding
Potentially join the Catalyzer Program where you can unlock tailored expert mentorship and coaching to scale your tech startup and potentially unlock additional investment, through StartHub investor connections.
Connect
Meet like-minded students and innovators, advance your career through networking opportunities and build a supportive community.
Frequent Asked Questions
When can I apply to join the Future Founders Program?
A call for applications will be sent out at your university and made public. Just be on a look out. This information is usually shared on all our social media channels and within the student communities.
Do I have to pay for the program?
No! All you need to do is to fill out a call-for applications form and tell us about your idea and yourself.
When does the Future Founders program run?
The actual dates of the Future Founders Program vary from university to university. Be sure to check the actual dates in the application link.
What will I learn?
You will learn what it takes to start and grow an innovative high-growth technology startup. We shall cover topics ranging from ideation, conducting market research, business modelling, financial analysis, strategic planning – all designed to enable you start and gain traction by the end of the program.
Which universities are eligible?
We are currently accepting applicants from Makerere University and Cavendish University. If your university is not included, you can still apply and choose others. We shall advise on the next steps.
Do I have to apply as an individual or as a group?
You can apply either as a group or individually. However, you will still get support in strengthening your team as needed during the program in case you applied as a group.
Who can apply?
This program is open to all university students, and recent graduates that dream about starting a high-growth technology startup one day. However, the program sessions will run at the designated university.
When is the deadline?
Application deadlines vary from university to university. Be sure to check out the application link to see what the deadline for your university is.
Will all ideas receive funding?
Only a few teams that will have gained traction and made significant progress during the program will be selected to potentially receive initial funding, and later a potential chance to join the Catalyzer program where they can unlock even more investment. However, all participants will learn how to finance their ideas through pitching to investors, friends, and family.
I don’t have an idea yet; can I still apply?
Yes, you can still apply. Our program is suited to accommodate both those with and without ideas. The Future Founders Program will help you figure out what you are passionate about, what societal challenges or needs you would love to contribute to solving through entrepreneurship.
Will I get feedback after applying?
During the selection process for your application, we will have a dedicated team contact you for the next steps. You will get feedback at each step of the process.