Independent Readiness Assessment · South Africa First
Independent readiness assessment for
early-stage African ventures.
We assess your ventures against 21 fixed checkpoints and give you a written report on each one, scored consistently against five dimensions, not invented, not self-reported.
No founder ever pays. You get a written report per venture, a cohort report for the group, and a live dashboard.
Venture Readiness Report
21 / 21 checkpoints
What you receive
Three written deliverables, given equal weight, none of them a decision on your behalf.
One per venture
Venture Readiness Report
Score out of 100 per checkpoint across five dimensions, written reasoning for every dimension, the evidence submitted, and a dated record of every attempt. Delivered to you and to the founder, free to the founder, permanently.
One per group
Cohort Report
Every venture ranked by measured readiness, pass rates by stage and checkpoint, failure patterns across the group, and the eligibility/outcome fields you need for reporting, recorded, never scored. Exports to Excel.
When a cohort is assessed twice
Progress Report
The same ventures measured before and after a programme, showing movement per venture and per dimension, so you can show what your programme actually changed.
How an engagement runs
Scope the engagement
Tell us how many ventures you're bringing and when. We confirm scope and pricing before anything starts.
We issue a passcode
One passcode covers your whole cohort. You distribute it, we don't market to your ventures directly.
Ventures are assessed
Each venture works through 21 fixed checkpoints, every checkpoint scored against the same five dimensions.
We deliver the reports
A Venture Readiness Report per venture and a Cohort Report for the group, both written, both yours to keep.
Re-assess to track progress
Run the same cohort through again later and we'll show you what actually moved, checkpoint by checkpoint.
Who we work with
Six categories of institution send us ventures to assess.
Corporate ESD programme
A corporate enterprise & supplier development programme sourcing B-BBEE beneficiaries.
ESD fund manager
A fund manager deploying enterprise development capital on behalf of corporates.
DFI / government programme
A development finance institution or government initiative tracking jobs and survival outcomes.
University
A university programme, entrepreneurship centre, or student venture initiative.
Accelerator / incubator
A structured cohort programme or longer-term hands-on venture support programme.
Impact investor / VC
An investor screening and tracking founder readiness ahead of a funding decision.
How we score
Every checkpoint is scored out of 100, split evenly across five fixed dimensions, no weighting change by stage, venture type or checkpoint.
| Dimension | Points |
|---|---|
| Substance | 20 |
| Evidence | 20 |
| SA Reality Fit | 20 |
| Rigour & Coherence | 20 |
| Investor Credibility | 20 |
Why an independent assessor
An institution doesn't need to believe our 21 checkpoints are the only correct 21. It needs three things to be true: the same checkpoints were applied to every venture, every score carries written reasoning you can check, and nobody involved had a stake in the outcome. None of that requires trusting our judgement, it requires reading our output.
Read why we built it this wayPricing
Priced per cohort, by size, not per venture. Founders never pay, at any stage, for any reason.
See how pricing worksWhat we are not
- We are not a decision-maker. We do not select, admit, fund or reject anyone.
- We do not replace anyone's criteria. Your own rubric and priorities stay exactly as they are.
- We are not an application or programme management system.
- We are not an investor, incubator or accelerator. We take no equity and provide no capital.
60%+
of rejected African startup pitches in 2024 lacked robust financial projections or a clear go-to-market strategy (CcHUB).
Not invented by AI
The 21 checkpoints come from structured research into what real funders, ESD fund managers, DFIs, and accelerators publicly say they require. AI applies those checkpoints consistently to every venture; it didn't decide what matters.
Read the full provenance and methodology statementReady to see who's actually ready?
Send us your ventures. We'll assess them independently and hand you the report.
Request an assessment
Tell us about your ventures. We'll follow up within two business days.