Wimbart, the Africa-focused PR agency, has launched the second edition of its Office Hours Programme, that equips early stage technology start-ups with the PR and communications tools needed to help scale their businesses.
Wimbart says the three-month programme will deliver PR and business mentorship to 30 Africa focused start-ups. The program is targeted at technology-enabled start-ups building solutions for Africans on the continent or in the Diaspora.
The startups have to be less than two years old, have a minimum viable product and be pre-Series A.
Launched in March 2020, the pilot Wimbart Office Hours Programme saw 22 start-ups, including Crop2Cash, Ecodudu and Wellahealth selected from a pool of over 80 applicants from across Africa, Europe and the US.
Successful start-ups joined an in-depth PR webinar + Q&A with Wimbart founder and Managing Director Jessica Hope, followed by dedicated one-on-one sessions with senior members of the Wimbart team, that covered deep dives into how PR could support their specific business goals. The power of storytelling, anatomy of a solid press release, and the art of pitching to journalists were just some of the topics covered during the programme.
Office Hours participants reported some impressive milestones, including coverage in top tier international and pan-African media outlets, increased customer traction, and interest from investors, as some of the early outcomes. The spirit and practical nature of the programme is set to continue as Wimbart has launched an online Alumni Network to continue supporting the early stage start-ups and allow peer-to-peer collaboration.
Kicking off in August 2020, the second Wimbart Office Hours cohort will be led by Wimbart, Kola Aina and Techpoint.The webinars will focus on the importance of communication for growth, investment and reputation management. These will be followed by three dedicated one-on-one PR office hours sessions with senior members of the Wimbart team, and one business mentoring session with an advisor from Ventures Platform.
