Accra,- Innohub, in collaboration with SNV Ghana, has organized a major pitch day and graduation ceremony for the Cohort One participants of the GrEEn Acceleration Program.
They are Ropryn Company Ltd, a horticultural business from the Western Region; Pamela Chicks & Feeds in the Greater Accra Region that produces pullets (ready to lay birds) for supply to poultry farmers; and Premier Waste Services, a waste management and recycling business, operating from the Ashanti Region.
The Acceleration program is implemented by Innohub under the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project.
Under the theme: “Building Successful Businesses”, it brought together accomplished industry experts, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and other stakeholders in the green/circular economy.
Addressing the theme, the chief executive of officer of Innohub, Mr. Nelson Amo, said entrepreneurs had to be guided by mainly ‘Resilience’ and ‘Focus’.
He explained that the journey towards a successful business was usually not a smooth one, therefore, entrepreneurs needed to demonstrate staying power and keep a clear focus on the core idea at a time.
They should resist spreading thinly across many things at the early stage.
Mrs. Genevieve Parker-Twum, Senior Incubation and Accelerator Advisor, lauded the participating entrepreneurs, encouraging them to make the best of the opportunity of their new knowledge and skills towards building strong, resilient and lasting businesses.
The SMEs participated in the program over six months, and were provided with bespoke business development support, mentorship, market access and linkages.
This would help them develop a roadmap towards achieving sustainable scale and creating new decent jobs.
As part of the program, the SMEs will benefit from improved access to funding for their operations as well as grants (in cash or services).
They will also be supported to benefit from a Challenge Fund, opportunity to raise funds from a crowdfunding platform, with diaspora mobilisation (provided by the UN Capital Development Fund), participate in the GrEEn bi-annual investment conference and other investment opportunities.
During the program, the SMEs were enabled to understand the scope of their customer segments and develop a strategic growth plan with activities geared towards their growth projections.
They were also assisted to conduct a detailed market study to help them validate the shortlisted market segments and expand their market reach.
At the end of the accelerator phase of the program, all three SMEs had developed their Market study reports and identified potential clients both local and international.
Innohub will provide a one-year post accelerator support for the businesses to ensure they are delivering on their growth plans while matching them to investors.
Ropryn Company Ltd – established in 2016, Ropryn produces fruits & vegetables (Horticulture Sector) for supply to supermarkets, and the hospitality industry.
The company, which operates from Apowa, is led by Prince Manu Yeboah, and currently has a staff size of 15.
Ropryn’s goal from the SNV GrEEn Accelerator program is to be able to raise capital, accelerate growth, and create jobs across West Africa.
Pamela Chicks & Feeds – Pamela Chicks & Feeds operates a unique poultry farm business model that produces pullets (ready to lay birds) for supply to poultry farmers.
The farm produces commercial poultry birds (chicken, turkey, guinea fowl) using mainly probiotics. This limits any use of antibiotics and artificial supplements.
Pamela Agbotse leads a team of seven, who are experienced in various capacities of the company’s business operations.
Pamela Chicks and Feeds looks forward to strengthening the company’s operating model and attaining investment-readiness to raising the capital needed to facilitate the strategic growth objectives.
Premier Waste Services – Premier Waste Services is a waste management and recycling business, operating from Aboabo.
Premier Waste gathers plastic bottles and other plastic waste materials, which are converted into pet flakes for supply to industries and export markets.
The company currently has a staff of 25, including permanent and casual staff.
The company, led by Edmund Arthur Brown, is looking forward to attaining investment-readiness, which will allow him to raise capital to expand operations and increase the network of women and youth in its supply chain.
The graduating SMEs during the event, pitched their businesses to an expert panel namely; Steve Sewu Tawia, Founding Member, Accra Angels Network, Angela Klufio, Head of Investments, Rural Development Fund, Venan Sondo, CEO, Chaint Afrique, and Renald Appiah, Portfolio Manager at Wangara Green Ventures.
The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn Project) contributes to addressing the root causes of irregular migration by supporting sustainable and climate resilient local economies, green jobs and development in regions of departure, transit and return.
Funded by the European Union and implemented together with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), SNV through the GrEEn project, focuses on the following two result areas:
Employability and entrepreneurship capabilities of the youth, women and returnees are improved in sectors of economic opportunities.
Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs), offering decent and sustainable jobs to youth, women and returnees, are incubated and/or accelerated and contribute to green and climate resilient local economies.
Please contact connect@innohub.com.gh for all your enquiries.
About Innohub
Innohub is a Business Accelerator, Growth Consulting and Impact Investment platform, which on one hand, supports Small and Growing Businesses to become sustainable, scalable and investment ready, and on the other hand serves as a platform for matching businesses to the capital needed for growth.
In line with our desire to bridge the early and missing middle funding gap for SGBs, Innohub is the sponsor of finance vehicles like Wangara Green Venture Capital Company Limited with a $3.2m grant from the World Bank, and the Accra Angels Network.
They bridge the gap between SMEs and impact investors.
Innohub offers Business Accelerator programs, Growth Consulting Services, Capital Raise Support Services and Market Research.
About SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services.
They contribute to economic, institutional, social and environmental development and poverty reduction in line with the policy priorities of the government of Ghana and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Their aim is to reduce poverty and increase sustainable economic development through capacity building with local actors.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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