The second edition of Wimbart Office Hours starting in August will have 30 startups as participants, 8 more than the maiden edition in March.
The Wimbart Office Hours, a partnership between public relations agency, Wimbart, pan-Africa early-stage fund, Ventures Platform, and Techpoint Africa, equips early-stage technology startups with the PR and communications tools they need to scale their businesses.
The three-month programme targets tech startups building solutions for Africans on the continent or in the diaspora. The startups must be less than two years old, have a minimum viable product, and be pre-Series A, a statement from Wimbart noted.
“Hot on the heels of closing out our first Wimbart Office Hours, and having worked with an amazing first cohort, we’ve taken on board some great feedback and are really excited to continue the momentum as we start our search for new startups from across the continent to join us in August,” Jessica Hope, managing director of Wimbart said.
The maiden edition of Wimbart Office Hours saw participation from 22 startups including Crop2Cash, Ecodudu, and Wellahealth which were selected from a pool of 80 applicants from across Africa, Europe, and the US. The selected startups were engaged in an in-depth PR webinar facilitated by Jessica Hope, one-on-one sessions with senior members of the Wimbart team, that covered deep dives into how PR ould support their specific business goals. The startups also learnt from wide-ranging topics including the power of storytelling, the anatomy of a solid press release, and the art of pitching to journalists.
As a result of the programme, participants reported some milestones, including coverage in top tier international and pan-African media outlets, increased customer traction, and interest from investors, as some of the early outcomes. Wimbart said it plans to continue the spirit and practical nature of the programme with the launch of its online alumni network. This will ensure continued support for early-stage startups and allow peer-to-peer collaborations.
“We hope that with the launch of the Wimbart Alumni Network, we will build a dynamic community of startups who share knowledge and opportunities and also foster cross-border cross-sector collaboration,” Hope said.
Kola Aina, founder of Ventures Platform said that investing in startups is more than writing cheques. Startups need to learn effective communication, hence the need to partner with Wimbart for the programme.
“Startups need the right strategies to best communicate their value proposition, and it will be an eye-opener for them in terms of brand awareness to help achieve scalable growth,” said Adewale Yusuf, founder and CEO of Techpoint Africa.
