Emerging Ideas & Telecel collaborating on Pitch Night and startup initiatives

A lot has changed since Emerging Ideas hosted its first Pitch Night in 2013. Through organic growth and a consistent delivery on its promise to provide entrepreneurs with a platform for honest feedback and building relationships, the monthly event has expanded its audiences.

One big change has been the establishment of a relationship between Emerging Ideas and local mobile network operator Telecel. This extension of Emerging Ideas’ vision for a Zimbabwean collaborative brilliance has been expressed through a combined effort in the monthly Pitch Nights, now called Telecel Pitch Nights.

According to Tommy Deuschle, co-founder of Emerging Ideas, the collaboration with Telecel is meant to go beyond an ordinary sponsorship relationship for the Pitch Nights event itself.

It turns out Telecel has jumped on board because it believes in what the Emerging Ideas community is working towards. The mobile operator has expressed a desire to support new ideas which have a potential for traction.

This interest in new age entrepreneurship from Telecel is what has already been displayed throughout the continent by mobile operators like Safaricom in Kenya and Airtel in Nigeria.

Locally, another operator, Econet, has also had its hand in entrepreneurship and skills development. Through its direct ties to Higher Life Foundation, the non-profit that founded Muzinda Hub, Econet has thrown its weight behind the tech hub. It would seem that Telecel is following down the same path of placing one foot in the emerging startup ecosystem.

The pitch nights won’t be the only thing Emerging Ideas will be involved in this year. The incubator has partnered with local radio station ZiFM and one of its DJs, Tonderai Katsande aka TK. Every Thursday morning TK and Emerging Ideas will be hosting a short radio show talking about unconventional, innovative business and how to “get up and start.” Pitch Night presenters will be featured on the show as well.

Emerging Ideas will be bringing new people to its Pitch Night team and there is set to be more collaboration with some companies that have signed on to be part of the collaborative effort. There also plans to take a business delegation to the United States later this year for a business and entrepreneurship tour.