It’s time to redefine our future and build a better world.

There is nothing like a crisis in the form of a worldwide pandemic to press the “reset button” on the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has not just done this on a local and regional level, but on a larger global scale. Crises are the crucible in which new businesses are born and they also provide a benchmark on what is working well in our world and what is not.

In the battle to stay alive through the current Covid-19 crisis business leaders find themselves in crisis management and strategic planning. Coping with the economic challenges of a forced shutdown is exceptionally tough for almost every business. However, the unseen benefit of such a catastrophe is the creation of a window of opportunity to solve either newly created problems or systemic problems that we have had no urgency for resolution or change. Change can either be welcomed or feared. As entrepreneurs, we must welcome the opportunity to pivot our businesses in order to reshape and recreate the world we want to live in. Now is therefore the moment in time to craft and impact what our go forward world will look like.

To this end we at Enygma Ventures have launched a new sub-fund: SHIFT in partnership with Startup Circles to support entrepreneurs who are making huge pivots, or starting from scratch, creating innovative solutions to address systemic problems that have become more apparent because of Covid-19. We are looking for entrepreneurs with a vision to solve big problems, to change the status quo, create meaningful solutions and take advantage of this window of time to rebuild our world.

This fund will award successful candidates either with scholarships to get their business off the ground in conjunction with StartupCircles.AI mentorship and education or seed funding from Enygma Ventures. Startup Circles works with mentors from all around the world who assist in facilitating moving quickly through ideation to validation to operation. Applications are open to both men and women entrepreneurs, creative thinkers and innovators who are focused on creative solutions that benefit SADC or African entrepreneurs from the region.

We’ve always believed that Africa has huge potential to drive novel solutions with global potential. Scarcity breeds innovation and focuses attention on what is truly critical. We don’t need to revive tired systems, we need to create new ones. Who is going to build the platform that makes e-government services possible? Who is going to make online education accessible for all? Leveling the playing field for children across the continent? Who is going to think about what we are going to need in our future world? We need brave thinkers and courageous executors to make big shifts happen. Who wants to go back to a three-hour daily commute? Or to a crowded doctor’s office just for routine appointments?

Now is most definitely the time for big shifts. Business is an incredible tool for transforming our world. Entrepreneurs and leaders must think bigger and dream even bigger than we ever have before. Rise up entrepreneurs, visionaries and the problem solvers of our time and define the world of our future for generations to come.

This could be Africa’s Wakanda moment.

Jacob & Sarah Dusek

Enygma Ventures General Partners & Co-Founders