FEATURED: Twenty-five entrepreneurs selected for BK Urumuri initiative

A total of twenty-five outstanding entrepreneurs were selected on Wednesday, June 29 out of more than 100 applications for the 6th edition of BK Urumuri initiative in partnership with Inkomoko Entrepreneurship Development. The winners will go through a six-month business acceleration programme, including business training and consulting from Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development, and a chance to secure interest-free loans from Bank of Kigali. Addressing the winners, Julienne Oyler, the CEO of Inkomoko reiterated her organisation’s reasoning behind supporting the budding businesses. “You are the businesses that make our lives better by providing things that make us more comfortable and initiating the technology that makes things work out more efficiently,” she said. She also reiterated their support for Bank of Kigali’s ambitious plan to support future businesses: “The Bank of Kigali has been here for 50 years and hence is investing in startup businesses that will be there in the next 50 years,” noted Oyler. Julienne Oyler, the CEO of Inkomoko, speaks to the selected entrepreneurs. Best participants who will be selected out of the 25 in the next round are set to secure interest-free loans and undergo business training. Those selected were drawn from a wide range of sectors including manufacturers, agribusiness, fashion and tourism industries among others. Darius Mukunzi, the head of SME banking at Bank of Kigali, urged participants to strive to make the most out of this programme to better their businesses for the benefit of communities. He said that growth of such start-ups also means better business for the bank. “For the past 50 years of operating in Rwanda, we’ve had businesses that started at Rwf200,000 but are now borrowing more than a billion, so this is an opportunity you should maximise, and ensure the growth of your startups,” he inquired. One of the selected entrepreneurs, Theodore Ishimwe, the CEO of Cinetie which is a live streaming media platform that operates on the internet says he expects a lot from the program. “I envision growth through this program either through the skills or funds I hope to get, I also hope to expand my operations after getting this loan,” he aspired. Best participants who will be selected out of the 25 in the next round are set to secure interest-free loans and undergo business training. Running under the sixth edition, the BK Urumuri Initiative has so far supported up to 130 entrepreneurs in the past editions. Urumuri participants include Motions, House of Tayo, Imagine We Rwanda, Uzi Collections, Weya Clothing, Slices & Cakes and many more of Rwanda’s best-known SME brands. Selected businesses for the 6th edition 1. Duhahe Online Ltd 2. Chameleon Resources Ltd 3. Family Pride Bakery Ltd 4. House of Kanyana Ltd 5. MCD Services Ltd 6. Akagera Neighbors 7. Eco-friendly sisters Ltd 8. Kimonyi Women Development Group Ltd 9. Swipe Africa Ltd 10. Volcano Green Invest Ltd 11. Atelier La Mode Ltd 12. Hano Online Ltd 13. Iduka Platform 14. Neza House Accomodetion 15. Redwood Books Ltd 16. Afia Group Limited 17. Chantal Ange Isimbi 18. CN Studio RW Ltd 19. Holly Trust Ltd 20. Muhahe Ltd 21. Mystery Coffee House 22. Phos Garment Group Ltd 23. Megabit 24. Cinetie 25. Vision Agribusiness Farm ltd A total of twenty-five outstanding entrepreneurs were selected for the 6th edition of BK Urumuri initiative in partnership with Inkomoko Entrepreneurship Development on Wednesday, June 29 .Craish Bahizi The winners will go through a six-month business acceleration programme, including business training and consulting from Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development, and a chance to secure interest-free loans from Bank of Kigali.

Events

FEATURED: Twenty-five entrepreneurs selected for BK Urumuri initiative