Most of the research in our institutions end up in the libraries and databases as publications, rather than getting to the market where they can be utilised to resolve societal pain points. The R2C program is designed to help researchers, academics, and entrepreneurs bridge the gap between innovative research ideas and commercial success. It often involves collaboration between researchers, industry partners, and investors to create a viable commercial product or service.
ViKtoria Ventures in partnership with Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) is implementing this Research to Commercialisation accelerator which will strengthen research innovators' ability to raise funding for or commercialise their innovations. The R2C project has two cycles; cohort 1 (January – June) and Cohort 2 (July – December 2023). The program will involve experiential training, mentorship and coaching towards pitching their ideas to potential investors and or commercialising their ideas.
This comprises of two Cohorts: Cohort 1: January – June, Cohort 2: July – December. The selected participants will undergo intensive three-week training, coaching and Mentorship.
The program is structured to have two cohorts where selected trainers will undergo a one-week intensive training on how to successfully run R2C Accelerators in their own institutions/research centers.
Women have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields, leading to a lack of research-based innovations and hindered socio-economic growth. Commercialization is crucial for researchers to bring their solutions to the market. In partnership with the Mawazo Institute, the R2C program will provide training to 15 female researchers on key commercialization topics such as IP, monetization, commercialization strategies, and pitching.
The program to have the selected participants to undergo a one week intensive training to equip these researchers with the skills necessary to develop plausible commercialization strategies, raise funds, establish market linkages, and ultimately commercialize their research innovations.
The primary goal of the ToT program is to empower participants with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental components and principles necessary for running a successful R2C (research-to-commercialisation) program. This includes equipping them with the skills to deliver engaging R2C training sessions to researchers within their institutions, as well as fostering an understanding of the significance of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and evaluating the impact of R2C programs.
We anticipate that participants will achieve the desired learning outcome of effectively implementing R2C programs by utilizing the program's content and effectively training key researchers and faculty members on the value of R2C. Additionally, we aim to foster institutional-level buy-in on the importance and value of R2C initiatives.
Viktoria Ventures will be conducting a training program for two cohorts of trainers (ToT) consisting of innovation champions selected from Tier 1 and Tier 2 universities as well as research institutions.
Cohort 2 Application dates:
The programme plans to partner with Mawazo Institute to virtually train 20 female researchers on R2C. The first cohort is scheduled for April 23, 2023
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