The AGEA Start-up Class, an initiative to support African start-up projects from universities to develop innovative business models to make them market and investment-ready, was held in Leipzig from 03 – 13 September 2025. Seven (7) start-up projects with a group of 12 young innovators consisting of students and researchers from 5 African universities from 4 African countries (Kenya, Ghana, Benin, and Rwanda) were hosted at the SEPT Competence Center in Leipzig for the 10-day training programme. For 10 days, these aspiring entrepreneurs immersed themselves in an environment of learning, coaching, and cross-cultural exchange that pushed them to rethink, refine, and reimagine their businesses.

The participating start-ups were:

• Ecoblue (Mount Kenya University, Kenya):
• Harcourt Agri-Eco Farm (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture And Technology, Kenya)
• ObstaMed (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana)
• WaxFarm (University for Development Studies, Ghana)
• BIOS Benin (University of Abomey Calavi, Benin)
• Tak-Avipack (University of Abomey Calavi, Benin)
• DailyPlus (Rwanda)

The programme opened with introductions, quickly moving into intensive sessions on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Participants received training on soft skills, including storytelling for start-ups, business communication, and business pitching techniques. Furthermore, they were guided through technical topics such as customer profiling and the Business Model Canvas by expert trainers from SEPT and SMILE at Leipzig University. By mid-week, the focus shifted to market research, distribution channels, and financial planning. Each session was designed to achieve a larger goal of preparing start-ups to move closer to the market, attract investments, and establish international collaborations.

Beyond the technical training, coaching sessions gave space for one-on-one guidance. Teams refined their strategies, rehearsed pitches, and received feedback tailored to their contexts. The final days were dedicated to the Pitch Presentation, where each team stepped forward, presenting not just a business idea but a refined vision backed by research, strategy, and knowledge from the training.

The programme was not confined to classrooms as participants engaged with Leipzig University’s SMILE start-up community to exchange experiences with local start-up teams such as TalentNet.AI and Hybeam, and attended the iN4iN International Conference. Cultural activities, from walking tours of Leipzig to networking dinners, created bonds that went beyond business. They also had the chance to visit the German capital as they participated in the IFA-Berlin international fair, the world’s leading trade fair that showcases the latest trends and innovations in areas like smart home technology, audio, AI, and more, providing a platform for leading brands, start-ups, and industry experts to connect and demonstrate future technologies. This was a valuable experience for the start-up teams, as they had the opportunity to interact with other technology start-ups as well as established global technology companies.

By the end, the AGEA Start-up Class 2025 had achieved more than knowledge transfer. It had created a community of innovators, united by the belief that entrepreneurship can drive change in Africa. As alluded to by one of the participants: “The knowledge and skills acquired through the training was immense and I will implement it in my startup project … and aligning what I was trained on to my business, ensuring I clearly state the problem, solution, key activities, key partners, key resources, etc. Next is on financial planning, storytelling and communication strategies that I will implement and finally prepare to pitch my business to investors and partners for funding, partnership and eventually scale. Overall, I gained immense knowledge which will be extremely instrumental.”

On the impact of the training beyond the technical knowledge transfer sessions, another participant mentioned that: “I loved having the one-on-one coaching session, peer reviews during training and exploring the city of Leipzig. Apart from the start-up classes, I feel that I learnt a lot outside the classroom setting. Be it about culture, architecture, people, and many other aspects of life in Germany.”

The Class demonstrated that when young innovators are equipped with the right skills, networks, and confidence, they can shape not just businesses, but futures.

The AGEA Start-up Class 2025 is an annual activity organised as a follow-up activity of the top ideas selected through the AGEA Business Idea Competition 2025. Both interventions fall under the Entrepreneurship Promotion pillar of the African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS 2.0) project, which is being implemented by the SEPT and Leipzig University, in collaboration with a consortium of 7 African university partners. The project is funded by the DAAD with support from the BMZ.

For more information, visit the ACCESS website.