Rwanda's foremost incubation program

FAQ

You have an amazing startup idea and want to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey with the support of experienced entrepreneurs, experts, investors, and mentors?

We are here to support you!

Stay tuned for our 2023 applications to open

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ABOUT SIMCUBATOR RWANDA What can you expect during the bootcamp?

Training

From funding strategy to curating a pitch—our coaches will provide state-of-the-art training

Network

Tap into our global network of experts to kickstart your idea.

Impact

Learn how to build and monitor an impact-driven business

ABOUT SIMCUBATOR RWANDA What else can you expect after the bootcamp?

Mentoring

Your team will be assigned an experienced mentor to help guide you to success.

Funding

Opportunity to receive funding from some of Rwanda’s biggest investors.

Investment-readiness

By the end of our incubator, your start-up will be ready for investment.

ABOUT SIMCUBATOR RWANDA What did the journey of our 2022 cohort look like?

ABOUT NORRSKEN The Norrsken House in Kigali

The bootcamp and the Final Pitch Day will take place at the Norrsken House in Kigali which was opened in 2021. Norrsken built this hub just for startups and created a unique space that you will want to come back to every day. The building consists of repurposed classrooms of the former Ecole Belge, which form the largest co-working space in Kigali. With over 120 companies working on new ideas, there is always something to talk about, and more ideas pop up every day.

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ABOUT SIMCUBATOR RWANDA What are the selection criteria?

You are headquartered in Eastern Africa

Preferably, you are located in Rwanda and will be in Rwanda in person during the bootcamp and Final Pitch Day.

You are at a pre-seed stage

You and your startup/idea are at a very early-stage, preferably pre-seed. You do not need to have officially founded the startup yet but need to be able to provide a business model idea. If you are too advanced (i.e., solid prior funding, 8+ full time employees) your application will not be considered.

You aim to have a positive social impact in Rwanda

You aim to have a positive/social impact with your startup, preferably in the field of education. However, you do not need to be a non-profit organization.

You are either a single founder or have a team already

You do not need to have a team yet, although applicants with a small team are preferred. Teams with at least one woman will be preferred in the selection process.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Who is hosting the program?
Who are Norrsken and SIMcubator, and how are we qualified to run such a program?

Norrsken is a non-religious, non- partisan, non-profit foundation helping entrepreneurs building rapidly scalable businesses, aiming at solving the hardest and biggest problems, such as poverty, famine, environmental issues, mental health, and integration. Norrsken is building the biggest hub for entrepreneurship in East Africa in Kigali and has opened its “Norrsken House” there end of 2021 aimed to be a place for local entrepreneurs to connect. SIMcubator is a student-run social incubator, whose members represent 11 nationalities and have a broad experience in startups, VC, volunteering, and consulting. All SIMcubator members are currently Master students at University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Are there any specific industries SIMcubator focuses on?
How does the program work?
What are the exact dates?

The program will start with an intense bootcamp from 18/02-20/02/2022 at the Norrsken House in Kigali. After that, there will be a two-month period where weekly sessions with mentors, public speakers and industry experts take place. The exact dates therefore will be communicated to the participants with the acceptance letter.
In the beginning of May there will be the final pitch day again at the Norrsken House.
Will the program be carried out online or offline?
The program will most likely be carried out in a hybrid format:
1. As mentioned in (5.), the selected teams will participate in the bootcamp in person.
2. During the two-months incubation phase, recurring sessions will take place in an online format.
3. The final pitch day will then again take place in person at the Norrsken House.
4. All local COVID-19 restrictions will be respected. SIMcubator and Norrsken will take the necessary measures to ensure the entire incubation program can still be conducted online if restrictions require it. These include but are not limited to:
- Providing the selected startups with digitized content (e.g., information packets)
- Providing the selected startups with access to videoconferencing tools (e.g., Zoom or Teams) and interact with them through those
Offer participation in workshops through the videoconferencing tools
How many teams will be selected to the program?

Selection Criteria & Process

Can start-ups from all over the world apply?
We've already raised funding. Can we still apply?
How will the selection process take place?
How large should the teams be?
Will any team composition be prioritized?
In which stage should the startup be?

Other

What happens on the final pitch day?

On the final pitch day you will have the great opportunity to pitch your startup to a panel of professional investors, corporates, entrepreneurs, and other key stakeholders of the economic scene. You will leverage all the mentoring and resources received in the past weeks to deliver the most professional pitch possible to secure funding for the development of your startup. SIMcubator and Norrsken will together determine the winning team of the program/pitch day, as well as a runner-up. The winning team will be awarded a prize of USD 10,000 for their startup.
Do teams have to give equity to the investors?
Will there be a prize for the participating teams?
Does it cost any money to participate in the incubation program?

Contact Us

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SIMcubator

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Address

St. Jakob-Strasse 60
9000 St Gallen
Switzerland

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