1. Transforming How VCs Learn with Dubai Future District Fund
In November 2023, we jumped on a plane to Dubai to facilitate a 3-day Fund Management program with the Dubai Future District Fund. Over three intense days, 40 participants, including seasoned professionals and newcomers, navigated 15 years of venture capital scenarios. The atmosphere in the room across all three days was electric, fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment. All participants walked away from the immersive experience with invaluable insights and practical knowledge for their VC journey. Read more about the program here.
2. Launching the 2X Asia Pacific GP Accelerator in Singapore
Imagine bringing together 16 real-life General Partners (VC, PE fund managers), pairing them with actual family offices and fund-of-funds, and guiding them through an intensive 2-day Fund Manager Simulation. The result? Lightning-fast, highly intelligent decision-making that led to rapidly expanding funds with global impact, smart gender-lens investing, and exceptional financial performance.
These two days were part of a 3-day, in-person event hosted in Singapore. This marked the first in-person session of the 6-month 2X Ignite Global GP Sprint, arguably the world’s premier 6-month GP Accelerator for emerging fund managers with a gender focus.
It was an absolute delight to collaborate with these extraordinary fund managers throughout the GP Sprint.
3. Global Public Launch of National Cluster Programs: A Global Perspective
National Cluster Programs: A Global Perspective was written for Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED). We’re so excited to finally release our findings to the public on more than 30 national cluster programs across the globe.
From Denmark’s recent shift to national superclusters, Germany’s multitude of cluster programs to Columbia’s support of 105 national clusters; we have analyzed national cluster programs around the world.
In doing so, we have identified a series of patterns, of similar practices that are being applied around the world. We have also identified a number of key policy levers governments can apply to shape their respective programs.
4. Scale Up Accelerator Coach Program for Belarusians
In the wake of the political crisis in Belarus and the war in Ukraine, our partners, Nir Melamud and Ljubisa Petrovic, joined forces with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to extend their support to Belarusian SMEs during these challenging times.
A program was launched in September 2023 with the aim of accelerating 10 high-potential startups and bolstering local capacities in startup acceleration and advisory. Nir and Ljubisa guided 15 participants through the Scale Up Accelerator Coach program, which concluded in early December 2023. The program was met with high satisfaction from the participants, who gained numerous key insights.
5. Welcoming our new team member Henrik Amstutz
In June 2023, we welcomed Henrik Amstutz to the Strategy Tools family. Over the past six months, Henrik has proven to be an invaluble asset to the team, applying his strategic and financial expertise to our portfolio of projects and client engagements. His contributions to Strategy Tools are deeply appreciated, and we look forward to more exciting times ahead.
Get to know Henrik a little better in the our Q&A session with him .
6. Working with Tiye Angels – Egypt’s first Women’s Angel Investor Network
Our work in Cairo, Egypt with Tiye Angels is perhaps one of the most inspiring projects we’ve engaged in this year. We launched the inaugural program in October, and were delighted to be invited back for a second Business Angel Training program in early December 2023. It’s been a rewarding journey to empower an exceptional group of founders, angels and mentors, and witness their growth as they navigate scale-up challenges and master angel investing within the Scale Up Sim. We thank Christine Sedky and Nashwa Habib from Tiye Angels and USAID for the opportunity, and look forward to working with the Egyptian VC ecosystem again in 2024.
7. An Intense Week of Strategy Tools Master Trainer
In March this year, 11 people travelled across the globe to Stavanger, Norway for an immersive, challenging week at the Strategy Tools Master Trainer. As the most advanced program offered by Strategy, the participants accepted are extremely qualified and already come with years of relevant experience to accelerate meaningful learning within the group. In this cohort, we were joined by venture capital ecosystem drivers, expert strategy facilitators, enterprise consultants and business agility experts from the Netherlands, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, the United States as well as Norway. All participants walked away with a deeper understanding of new business tools and new strategy skills.
Learn more about the Master Trainer program here.
8. Developed the report Digital Accelerators: Supporting Founders Through Digital Programming
In September, we completed a report commissioned by SANAD Technical Assistance Facility on digital accelerators in the MENA and SSA startup ecosystem. Accelerators are a key pillar in startup ecosystems across the globe, and have also been booming in Africa and the Middle East. In the report, we explored the current situation, best practices, and digital tools and solutions of digital accelerators in these regions. We based our findings on a review of more than 100 accelerator programs and a deep dive analysis of 17 of them.
9. Celebrated Our Partner Successes
We celebrated multiple wins with our partners this year – from Pex Parra’s 10X growth in sales to the expansion of Jessica Low’s client offerings, the achievements have been remarkeable.
However, one of the most inspiring successes has been how Michael Badham and Stuart Morley brought Strategy Tools to their community in Canada. Their exceptional work with Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entpreneurship Center earned them the Creative Collaborator Award at the Mayor’s innovation Awards. This success underscores their ability to leverage Strategy Tools in creative ways to augment their proficiency and portfolio. Bravo!
10. Newton Venture Program
In June 2023, we flew to London on a mission to integrate the Fund Manager! simulation into the Newton Fellowship Program, the most advanced offering of the Newton Venture Program for seasoned venture capitalists. The fast-paced and intense workshop spanned over two rewarding days. The facilitation was expertly handled by Chris Rangen, Scott Newton, and our promising intern, 10-year-old Alex Rangen.
We’ve wrapped up an incredible 2023! We are excited to share more with you as we gear up for an exhilarating journey ahead in 2024. Catch you on the flipside!
