Welcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Gosbert Chagula.
Gosbert is the co-founder of Startup Discovery School, an award-winning innovation agency that builds bespoke innovation programmes for startups and corporates that are solving global challenges. Learn how Startup Discovery School invest, build and scale these ventures worldwide using various models including accelerators and incubators. Learn how these models intersect with non-dilutive grant dunging and early stage angel investing.
Gosbert has spent the last 10 years working across the startup ecosystem in both Europe and Africa. Prior to Startup Discovery School, Gosbert worked for Exeter Velocities, a Business Accelerator focused on sustainable solutions to the challenges of urbanisation. In this role, he worked with more than 40 startups and focused on building and managing a network of early-stage investors. He has also worked for the Africa Technology Business Network where he played a key role in launching ‘Her Future Africa', an Accra-based innovation camp focused on enabling innovative solutions to the continent’s challenges and providing access to under-served communities in Ghana. Gosbert also sits on the UK Department of Business and Industrial Strategy’s SME Engagement Group. This group regularly meets with Ministers and has provided strategic support to the Government in formulating business support policy during Covid-19 and beyond.
In this episode we discuss:
1. The Journey to Founding a Startup Discovery School:
How did Gosbert’s interest in 'vehicles of change' lead him to the world of startups and investing?
What are some experiences and insights from his earlier career in youth education and employability-focused impact startups?
2. The Value of Accelerator Programs and Angel Investment:
What are the advantages of accelerator programs for startups and why does Gosbert think there are not enough of these programs?
How does the potential for networking and being part of key conversations play into the value of accelerators?
What kind of investments does Gosbert typically make as an angel investor and how does this tie into the accelerator space?
3. The Difference between Accelerators and Incubators:
How does Gosbert distinguish between incubators and accelerators in terms of the business stages they cater to?
How is the concept of incubators being utilized by large companies for fostering internal innovation?
What does Gosbert look for when selecting a company for his acceleration programs or for investment?
4. The Role of Conviction, Market Change and Impact in Early-Stage Investment:
What are Gosbert criteria for selecting companies to place on their accelerator programs?
How does Gosbert view the balance between a startup's potential impact and its revenue potential?
What does Gosbert see as the challenges that startups face in creating impact?
5. Expanding the Pool of Change Makers in Climate Space:
How does Gosbert aim to expand the pool of change makers, particularly in the climate space?
What does Gosbert think about traditional markers of success, and how are they challenging these norms?
Twitter https://twitter.com/gosbert
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gosbert
