LaunchLab

LaunchLab is the incubator of Stellenbosch University, operating within the university's Innovation and Commercialisation division. Its mandate is to convert research, ideas and intellectual property originating in the university community into commercial ventures, working with researchers, students and alumni as founders. Incubation services are exclusive to the Stellenbosch University group of companies, and the organisation is based in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Support is structured around several distinct services. Tailored incubation and new-venture support programmes help teams test business ideas, shape value propositions and business models, and prepare for investment - a process commonly described as investment readiness. Practical assistance is provided in setting up new ventures, and selected commercial opportunities are curated and made available to founders. Alongside this, LaunchLab runs workshops, bootcamps, hackathaths and competitions for students and entrepreneurs.

For the investment community, the relevant function is the third-party introduction channel: LaunchLab connects entrepreneurs with investors, mentors and partners, positioning its ventures within a network oriented towards market access and funding. Stated technical domains include research commercialisation, technology transfer, intellectual property commercialisation, business model development and investment readiness. The stated objective for the ventures it supports is that they be impactful, sustainable and profitable businesses. Founding date, team size and any fund or cheque-size parameters are not disclosed.