TIH Graduations Ceremony
The Innovation Hub is proud to announce that for the year 2017/8 it successfully graduated twelve companies, incubated by The Innovation Hub incubation programmes. The graduation was hosted at The Innovation Hub on 19 April 2018.
The Innovation Hub invests in the support of entrepreneurs with innovations that address social and environmental challenges faced by Gauteng, as well as those that enhance the competitiveness of local industries. Working collaboratively with industry, government, civil society, academic and research institutions, emphasis is placed on identifying and supporting relevant and near-market R&D and innovation projects targeted at local economic and social challenges and service delivery in line with government priorities. Through Business Incubation programmes, The Innovation Hub provides an enabling environment that support platforms for enterprise development.
The Innovation Hub develops the business leaders of tomorrow by providing an enabling environment where start-ups from the knowledge-intensive sectors are fast tracked to compete in the global village. Incubation creates a synergistic environment where entrepreneurs can share learning; create working partnerships; as well as open doors to markets and resources.
Graduating companies are required to have contributed to job creation, must have commercialized, and experienced company growth in income and overall business management which are essential for start-up sustainability. The graduating companies cover a spectrum of social innovations
Among those graduating was:
Eco-match, a crushing and screening service provider which specialises in the provision of mobile crushing and screening equipment mainly in the construction and demolition, and mining sectors. The main products from the crushing and screening process are: concrete aggregates, and various grades of filling material (e.g. G5-G7).
The TUT SynBo beverage which is a ready-to-drink fermented sour maize-based non-dairy synbiotic beverage which contains functional ingredients with potential health benefits for the consumer. The advantage of this new beverage is that it contains selected prebiotic oligosaccharides and probiotic bacterial cultures unlike other competitor brands, such as Mageu Number One, currently on the market. The SynBo beverage now comes in six flavours: peach, strawberry, vanilla, granadilla, banana and plain.
Makhamisa foods which produces flavouring condiments of all-natural ingredients, the products are distributed to the restaurants and retail shops.
Carbon Reduction Technology which designs, manufactures and supplies high performance, high efficiency LED lighting solutions. They provide alternative lighting solutions significantly reduce energy and carbon consumption. Their products include; streetlight poles, mid-hinge poles, floodlight masts, highlight Masts, scissor masts and disguised Tree Masts.
Bio-Lotion Cosmetics, a cosmetics company which specialises in personal care products such as Bio Lotion for stretch marks and uneven skin tone; and Bio Baby. The lotion is currently retailing at Shoprite, checkers, Dischem and Makro.
Unconventional Waste Solutions, a waste and media company that have created waste trolleys that also double-up as mobile billboards where companies can sponsor branded messages and use them as a marketing platform. The trolleys are called Abomakgereza. They also train and equip local informal waste collectors with basic business and entrepreneurial skills needed to take their waste trade to the next level.
Modular Innobox, a company which designs and pilots turn-key upliftment opportunity in a box for micro economies. These ‘boxes’ range from packages containing the hardware, software and educational content all the way to solar powered, remotely managed shipping containers modules (Modular Innoboxes) required to run a successful business in a micro economy.
Water Hygiene Convenience, a green start-up which has created a leak-less valve that helps save water from leaking toilet cistern. The main business operation of WHC is to introduce novel water-saving technologies that are complementary to conventional water faucets, and related services that are beneficial to the environment.
Kusile labs manufactures exclusive mobile science laboratories for rural schools provide experience and opportunity for disadvantaged learners to carry out experiments and tests.
An App called Co-Safety, developed by Pulego Communications, which enables citizens to report or provide anonymous tip-offs of incidents of crime, corruption, bylaw infringements and traffic to the police. Co-Safety also enables the metro police to engage with citizens on community safety issues and offers data analytics capabilities, thus helping management make informed decisions.
NCA Production, a company which offers theatre, television and film production. They also offer training in acting and theatre Ekurhuleni in the sector.
And lastly Tour 2.0, online platform that promotes community tourism within Africa by packaging community tours and tour packages as stories that are told by community members within the context of their community.