EMPOWERING FEMALE FARMERS
ALUMNI INVESTORS TURN TO TECH COUNTRY: Spain SCHOOL: Esade Business School An alumni network of private investors pledged €4.1 million EUR to 27 new projects in 2021, taking the network’s overall total to in the region of €40 million in investments over 16 years. The Esade alumni business angels’ network (Esade BAN) was founded in 2006 and consists of 230 private investors, many of whom work in family businesses or as venture capital representatives. Not only does the network provide a platform for entrepreneurs seeking funding, it also seeks to provide its members with the best investment opportunities. During the year, 400 projects were submitted to Esade BAN, of which 97 were retained and presented across 18 investment forums. Most popular with the investors this year were startup projects in the ‘deep tech’ sector, or those that revolve around the use of new technologies, such as big data, AI and augmented reality. Indeed, 61% of the startups receiving funding were classified in this sector. ‘After two years of struggling with the effects of the pandemic, we have seen an upward trend in projects related to value-added technology or deep tech,’ said Esade BAN Director, Fernando Zallo. One example is Unblur, a startup founded by a BBA graduate of Esade that has received €180,000 EUR from 13 Esade BAN investors. Unblur uses AI to provide real-time information designed to improve the response of emergency services. Receiving more than €1 million in investment, meanwhile, was Dinbeat, an initiative offering both veterinary telemedicine services and in-home care for people. A startup which uses GPS collars to monitor livestock, iXorigué, received €95,000 from the alumni investor group. Esade BAN enjoys strong links to the Esade Business School’s Entrepreneurship Institute and its business project creation and acceleration programme, eWorks. / TBD
COUNTRY: South Africa SCHOOL: Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria
An entrepreneurial programme designed to support female farmers in South Africa is to be delivered by Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA) at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), in partnership with the Embassy of France in South Africa. While all farmers in South Africa face challenges such as a lack of economic support, a lack of access to training, social barriers and a lack of infrastructure, the Women Agripreneurs Programme was established in recognition of the fact that these challenges are often more pronounced for female farmers. Female farmers in the country can also face the added difficulties of a lack of networks, as well as enhanced cultural and social barriers due to gender norms. The programme will recruit 35 women and run for three months, with course content covering three main areas: leadership development, entrepreneurial skills, and managerial competencies. Each participant in the programme will also be given access to coaching sessions that focus on helping them to apply the academic concepts they are taught to their own journeys and personal development. The programme will be delivered in an online blended format, with sessions running both asynchronously and synchronously, to accommodate participants who living in rural areas, as well as those juggling multiple jobs and responsibilities. The overriding aim of the programme is to contribute to the farming community and the agricultural sector in South Africa as a whole, through the economic empowerment of women. To apply to the programme, participants must be at least 21 years old, hold a minimum of two years of experience in agribusiness, and employ at least one person. They also need to have basic computer literacy, as well as access to a device for online learning. / EB
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