The “Founder’s Den” event, which took place at the Old Mutual headquarters in Sandton on Thursday 25 July, is responsible for successfully hosting over 150 business leaders, investors, and founders from a curated list of key eco-system players from South Africa’s startup community in Johannesburg last week.
The gathering, which usually takes place in Cape Town, aims to shape the future of business in South Africa by bringing together a number of visionary entrepreneurs, tech industry leaders, and investors. It has been hosted on an annual and bi-annual basis by Specno since 2021, and its launch in Johannesburg this year was made possible by Old Mutual’s innovative partnerships and ventures hub, Next176.
The event was organised with the aim of building a supportive ecosystem for startups in our country through a mentorship network dedicated to connecting tech founders with investors and corporate innovators, among other stakeholders in the tech sector.
“We started hosting the Founder’s Den event in Cape Town to catalyse significant growth within South Africa’s technological sector,” adds Daniel Novitzkas, Co-Founder and Chairperson at Specno. “The success of previous events and the collaboration that ensued from them resulted in numerous requests to launch and host one in Johannesburg as well. Among all South African cities, Johannesburg certainly is the wealthiest, with 12 300 millionaires, 25 centi-millionaires, and two billionaires. It goes without saying that the city is home to large amounts of capital, and we are privileged to host an event that aims to connect this capital with young South African founders who are driving innovation and investment in our sector.”
Image 1 & 2: Investors and young founders engage with panelists at Founder’s Den, Johannesburg, on July 25, 2024. Images credited to Founder’s Den participant & guest, Felicia Goss CA (SA), Head of Gauteng at Iridium Business Solutions
“Founder’s Den aims to shape the future of business in South Africa by bringing together a number of visionary entrepreneurs, tech industry leaders, and investors. Attendees were able to gain valuable industry insights, make meaningful connections, and gain inspiration from the success stories of other South African entrepreneurs,” adds Jacques Jordaan, CEO at Specno.
Speakers at the event hosted in Johannesburg included Alex Thomson (Co-Founder of Naked Insurance), Rajiv Daya (Head of Investment at Next176 from Old Mutual) and Priaash Ramadeen (Co-Founder and CEO of The Awareness Company). The panel was moderated by Renier Kriel (Co-Founder of The Open Letter, South Africa’s fastest growing online newsletter).
Image 3: Specno’s leadership team, including CEO Jacques Jordaan, pose for photograph at Johannesburg’s first Founder’s Den
“Specno is a proud organiser of this event and remains dedicated to being a provider of world-class technical solutions for companies based in South Africa. Our goal is to help local businesses overcome any digital challenges they may be facing in their sector, with the aim of improving their overall efficiency, profit margins, and growth. As pioneers in the field of digital innovation, we are determined to drive creative problem-solving for business success in South Africa and across the globe,” concludes Novitzkas.