UK and Channel Islands
Introducing Grindstone UK & Channel Islands, an effective accelerator of innovation.
Grindstone UK & Channel Islands innovation accelerator is specifically crafted to aid high-growth scaleups in uncovering novel techniques to accelerate their business further.
With the opportunities presented by access to our innovative technology ecosystem, we provide the tools and support they need to be even more successful, such as business growth strategies, structured IP and innovation, tax efficiencies and access to global funding and markets.
The Grindstone UK & Channel Islands innovation accelerator takes Grindstone's renowned growth engineering programme to the UK, South Africa, and the Channel Islands. Designed for high-growth startup companies that are well on their way to becoming scaleups, participants will gain invaluable insights, refine their business models and connect to a global network of experts, mentors, investors, and other founders.
The goal
To help ten innovation-driven scaleups to grow and expand their business.
Cost
Our corporate partners and sponsors cover this programme's cost.
Grindstone UK & Channel Islands innovation accelerator: Outline
Grindstone UK & Channel Islands is six months, with further access to funding and market opportunities for up to 2 years after completing the accelerator.
Who can apply to the Grindstone UK & Channel Islands innovation accelerator?
Any scaleup that meets our qualifying criteria:
- High-growth, innovation-driven scaleups
- Product to be at MVP stage, at a minimum
- Post revenue/early traction
- An agile and dynamic team of entrepreneurial individuals who are passionate about tech scaleups
- Combining business and technology co-founders is a plus
- Innovative technology business with a clear competitive differentiator
- Scalable business model
- We require your commitment to participate throughout the growth engineering process. Our focus will be on key pillars of your business that will facilitate growth, including strategy, sales, funding, and tech optimization.
Note: These criteria depend on the specific programme. Focus areas or sector preferences may also vary from programme to programme.
The Grindstone UK & Channel Islands innovation accelerator is sector-agnostic, which means scaleups from every sector are welcome to apply.
Leveraging the local partners and ecosystem relationships of Grindstone, the Grindstone UK & Channel Islands programme aims to foster entrepreneurship in the region, ensuring productivity-led growth for the UK, Channel Islands and beyond. These principles will help develop the geographies into competitive and mature digital business centres.
Our partners include:
FAQ's
High-growth tech startups and enterprises ready to scale with a minimum of 30% Singaporean ownership are interested in expanding their operations into the South African market and potentially across Africa. Founders must have the capacity to attend a residency week in Cape Town, presenting their business to potential clients or strategic partners.
The Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) is a joint initiative between Enterprise SG and the Singapore Economic Development Board. It brings together a network of Singaporean and overseas partners in major innovation hubs and key demand markets, focusing on technology and innovation.
Learn more about the Global Innovation Alliance
We will begin the first cohort once we have a selection of startups and enterprises who wish to join the GIA Cape Town Accelerator. The course begins with an online assessment completed in the first week, with the residency week and market introductions tailored to the participating company's schedule and interest.
Our accelerator is designed to help companies with market introductions and entry. We customize the program to fit the unique needs of each participating company based on their growth stage, expansion goals, and availability. This customization allows us to tailor market introductions and potential partnerships to each company's needs, and starting dates may vary accordingly.
We welcome all Singapore startups and enterprises keen to explore the South African market as a launchpad into Africa!
We're focused on providing you with access to new market opportunities. We want to hear from you if you have a business ready to expand into Africa. We have a network of partners in South Africa and Africa looking for innovative companies in Singapore to connect with. Think of us as your sales agent or market access partner in Africa.
The GIA Cape Town programme is eight weeks long, with further access to market opportunities for up to six months after completion. You must be able to join a coaching or mentoring session every week (each session is an hour), which will match your company with a leading mentor, industry expert, seasoned entrepreneur or other professional as required. You are also obliged to attend the residency week in Cape Town, which will comprise workshops, networking sessions and in-person introductions to strategic partners and potential clients.
S$2500 (excluding travel costs to South Africa), split over two payments. The first payment is S$1500 on signing the contract, and the remaining S$ 1000 is payable upon completion of your market visit/residency week in South Africa (where at least three potential market entry introductions are guaranteed).
Our chief coach, Cameron Burt, leads the coaching journey by identifying market gaps through assessments, understanding your business, and providing access to markets in Cape Town and beyond. Cameron is a business coach, consultant, analyst and entrepreneur who has founded five companies and successfully exited three. He helps with leadership development, strategy, management planning and exits. With an MBA from Stirling University, hands-on experience, and an array of world-class and proven tools, he helps entrepreneurs address business gaps to build measurable and sustainable value.
We address the fundamental needs of a startup or enterprise ready to scale:
The GIA Cape Town accelerator focuses on knowledge, networks, and markets identified as needs for Singapore enterprises looking to expand their business into South Africa and beyond.
KNOWLEDGE
We aim to help enterprises ready to scale, grow and expand into new markets by providing effective interventions and strategies that increase revenue and returns. We achieve this by identifying startups or enterprises ready to scale with proven traction and potential, supporting them with the right resources, and helping them access market and funding opportunities. Our practical, hands-on approach includes the following:
- Top coaches and mentors who provide exceptional guidance and support.
- Highly curated course materials.
- Robust platform with clearly defined plans for each business and effective tracking methods.
- Automation tools to enhance the learning experience and streamline processes.
NETWORKS
We collaborate with the best ecosystem partners around the globe to ensure the success of the startups and enterprises ready to scale in every Grindstone accelerator. Through our extensive network, we:
- Attract the most promising startups and enterprises ready to scale to the programme, which benefits their growth and provides positive PR and exposure for the companies and our sponsors.
- Leverage our funding networks to identify potential funding sources through allocating funds, where required.
- Tap into the power of market networks to provide market access opportunities.
MARKETS
We have a robust and effective market access plan, including a reliable partner value chain that presents valuable startup partnerships and opportunities. As part of our programme, we offer:
- Go-to-Market (GTM) introductions to help businesses establish themselves in the market.
- GTM readiness, with all the necessary resources and strategies to scale.
Each small business is at a different stage in its life cycle, and entrepreneurs have different gaps in their management skillset. A baseline assessment at the programme's start highlights what skills and capabilities need to be developed and informs each participant's learning pathway.
Once your eligibility for the programme is confirmed, you will be asked to complete this assessment.
After the detailed assessment (which takes how long), where we identify your market gaps (at any stage of the business lifecycle), we provide bespoke interventions and solutions to help you address these gaps. Apart from this, we need to fully understand your product or service to ensure that we connect you with the right people to partner with in South Africa and beyond into Africa.
Participants who complete the GIA Cape Town accelerator programme get a certificate of completion. However, you're more concerned with business results. Participants in previous Grindstone programmes say that their businesses increased their competitiveness, improved operational efficiency, and attained new prospects for growth. With GIA Cape Town, our focus is on market readiness and access. With at least three introductions to potential strategic partners or clients, you'll have new business opportunities in South Africa and beyond.
