Last year was undoubtedly a challenging one due to Covid-19 for Turbine Incubator.

Diane Maigrot, Start Up and Growth Manager at Turbine Incubator shares with us how Turbine managed the year 2020 and the plans that she has for the year 2021.

Shifting Test Drive Online

Turbine organises Test Drive Programs where it invites aspiring entrepreneurs and people with a business idea to participate and develop their business ideas.

One of the major challenges that we had last year was to shift the Test Drive Program online during the confinement. All workshops were conducted online and our participants were in contact with their respective coaches through Zoom and Whatsapp.

Thanks to Turbine’s coaches, experts and speakers, we were able to organise the Pitch Night successfully.

Corporate Challenges

Turbine organised 3 corporate challenges last year.

MUA collaborated with Turbine to find an innovative telematic solution for its customers to improve drivers’ behavior and to encourage safe driving in Mauritius. We received 30 applications from both local and international companies. Turbine team and MUA have shortlisted 5 out of them and are currently finalising the winner.

This program was organised for the employees of ENL Group where they were given the needed tools and support in terms of workshops and coaching they needed to build sustainable solutions for existing problems that the different clusters of ENL had. The team Unstoppables won the challenge for their project to redesign bus stops in Moka to become more modern, comfortable in an ecological way.

Ascencia Innovation Challenge

This program was a combination of Test Drive and Start Up Challenge that was organised for Ascencia Shopping malls to help them achieve one of their sustainable objectives which is to help 10 entrepreneurs build and develop their start up in Mauritius and beyond. Applications were open for anyone with a business idea related to mall businesses to apply for the Test Drive Program.

Out of 10 projects, 4 have been selected by Ascencia. They will receive extra support in terms of marketing & promotion along with network access from Ascencia during their incubation period with Turbine.

The aim of Turbine by doing these challenges is to offer start ups the opportunity to work with corporates and get an access to customers.

What’s ahead for Turbine in 2021

Turbine has decided to launch its Acceleration Program in February this year.

We currently have 6 start ups that meet the criteria of our Acceleration Program. This program will last 6 months and will focus on Sales, Leads Generation, Marketing, Communication and raising investment.

The selected start ups will also have the possibility to receive 1 Million investment from Compass Venture Capital so as to allow them have financial support to develop their businesses.

New Business Coaches at Turbine

3 Business Coaches have recently joined Turbine to help and support our start ups. Isabelle de Melo, founder of Moris Angels, Krystel Dookhith, who was previously Group Investment and Business Manager at Eclosia and Fabrice Boullé who is in charge of the Venture Investment Fund of ENL Group.

Along with our existing business coaches Marc Israel and Alexandrine Maigrot, we want to make sure that our start ups are well accompanied with professional advice throughout their journey.

Turbine is looking forward to recruit 10 impactful start ups for its Incubation Program as well this year. We look forward to organise more corporate challenges in collaboration with corporates.

I would like to end with a quote of Nelson Mandela that I cherish:

”Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”