Supporting Rwandan innovators to excel

Would you know: Someone with an innovation that needs financing? A young entrepreneur who is looking for capital? A graduate doing business aiming to record a sustainable growth? This is a high season for him/her

The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) through the Rwanda Innovation Endowment organized in a Public Lecture targeting these type of Rwandan innovators with the topic: "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and the Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund"

When: Friday, 6 July 2012

Time: 03:00 p.m.

Venue: at Telecom House-Kigali

The Rwanda Innovation Endowement Fund (RIEF) was established by the Government of Rwanda to finance innovative entrepreneurs and to stimulate socio-economic transformation. It is managed by MINEDUC in partnership with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in the framework of One UN Rwanda.

The priority areas for funding include: Agriculture, Manufacturing and ICT and any successful project submitted to the fund could potentially be funded to a maximum amount of 50,000 USD

About the speaker for the public lecture

Mr. Axel Bichara who will speak to innovators and entrepreneurs is Mechanical Engineering, ICT leader, entrepreneur and International Venture Capitalist from the US with more than 25 years investing in companies, including working with entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.

He has made investment from US$100,000 to $25 Millions in several firms including:

 SolidWorks: 3D CAD Software

 SpeechWorks: Speech recognition enterprise software

 Phase Forward: Clinical trial management software

 Cloudswitch: Cloud computing infrastructure software

 E-Ink: Displays

 VideoIQ: Intelligent video surveillance systems

 Icera: Data communications chips

 Isilon: Storage systems

Mr. Bichara is in Rwanda as with his family in holiday but he has given his time to help young entrepreneurs. He says: “Promoting entrepreneurship is one of the best things any of us can do to help the world become a better place”.

For media inquiries, please contact:

 Mr. Remy Twiringiyimana; MINEDUC; telephone: 07853681304; email: remytw2000@yahoo.fr

 Mrs. Hilda Murangira, MINEDUC; telephone:             0788857 534      ; Email: hildamura@yahoo.com, murangira@mineduc.gov.rw

 Mrs. Evangelina Soni Kanamugire, Communications Consultant; RIEF ; Telephone;             0788 830 629      ; Email: kayinamura@communicateclarity.com

MINEDUC