for founders
founder toolkit ↗ · customer discovery, readiness, series a evidence and the pitch.
insights
ideas, evidence
and what comes next
our thinking on building businesses, and selected signals from the industries we follow. we connect each development to a question worth asking.
working documents
resources for your next decision
for investors
investor toolkit ↗ · objectives, constraints and evidence-led diligence.
for corporate partners
corporate toolkit ↗ · challenge briefs, pilots and the path to adoption.
from lab2sky
the decisions behind the work
free founder resource
startup readiness check for south african founders ↗
a free 45-minute startup readiness check with eight evidence questions, a worked example and a downloadable worksheet. no email or sign-in required.
choosing your route
venture builder, accelerator or venture capital? ↗
understand the different jobs of venture building, startup support and venture capital, and choose the right starting point at lab2sky.
customer discovery
customer access belongs in the first conversation ↗
a practical customer discovery guide: identify the user, buyer and decision maker, test access and turn a pilot into evidence.
international potential
build an international growth case ↗
a founder’s guide to choosing a next market and testing customer demand, distribution, local adaptation and the economics of international growth.
business models
what we look for after the first sale ↗
understand recurring revenue quality through customer retention, delivery costs, collected cash and continuing impact.
investment readiness
prepare the evidence behind a series a story ↗
organise the commercial, financial, team and international-growth evidence for a considered series a conversation.
human evolution
from a health technology to a useful outcome ↗
the questions lab2sky asks about health ventures: evidence, users, buyers, delivery responsibility and a sustainable path from product to impact.
clean power
clean power: start with the customer’s decision ↗
lab2sky’s questions for clean-power ventures: measurable outcomes, the buyer, recurring value, delivery economics and international potential.
signals · selected reading
what is changing,
and why it matters
external developments, with the source and our interpretation kept clear.
curated reading · publication and review dates are shown for each selection. new items are checked before publication. international examples inform our thinking; our venture and investment focus remains south africa. inclusion does not imply a lab2sky investment or endorsement.
renewable growth needs a route from generation to use
the iea’s new india renewable energy report describes expanding renewable electricity and domestic manufacturing. it identifies grids, storage, system flexibility and utility finances as constraints on further deployment.
why it matters to us
a generation project depends on the surrounding system to deliver useful power. international growth creates opportunities for enabling services, but demand, procurement and delivery conditions still need local evidence.
the question we would ask
which constraint prevents the intended customer from using the power, who pays to remove it, and what evidence supports reliable delivery?
grid resilience includes the decision to interrupt service
the iea examines how wildfire conditions affect electricity networks and how grid equipment can contribute to ignition risk. it describes measures including vegetation management, equipment protection and precautionary shutdowns.
why it matters to us
resilience involves operating decisions as well as stronger equipment. a service must account for the consequences of both continuing supply and interrupting it, with clear responsibility for customers who depend on power.
the question we would ask
which customers need continuity during a precautionary shutdown, what backup is practical, and who decides when supply can safely resume?
a second supplier needs more than a name on a list
the iea reports that its 22–23 october exercise tested responses to potential rare-earth supply disruptions. a related workshop examined diversification and dependencies in equipment, chemicals and technical expertise.
why it matters to us
manufacturing resilience depends on whether an alternative supply route can actually operate. scenario exercises can reveal dependencies before a disruption, but do not prove that a supply chain is protected.
the question we would ask
which materials or processes have no qualified substitute, and how long would supplier qualification, equipment changes and customer acceptance take?
clinical administration needs a reviewable workflow
norrsken vc describes tandem health’s assistant supporting patient summaries, documentation and tasks around consultations. the investor also outlines plans to extend the product into wider clinic operations.
why it matters to us
less paperwork is useful only when clinical teams can review outputs, correct errors and retain responsibility. investor descriptions do not establish clinical safety or measured benefits in a new setting.
the question we would ask
who reviews generated records, how are corrections traced, and what evidence supports safe use in the intended clinical workflow?
generation capacity must reach the customer reliably
the iea’s ethiopia energy review highlights electricity reliability, affordable connections and clean cooking access. it connects expanded generation with the need to improve networks, utility performance and energy planning.
why it matters to us
installed capacity alone does not describe the service a household or business receives. ventures depend on reliable delivery, affordable equipment and support that works beyond the initial installation.
the question we would ask
which customer constraint is binding: connection cost, outages, equipment finance or maintenance, and how will the service measure improvement?
selling connectivity also means managing the payment
disrupt africa profiles uganda’s xenfi, which combines hotspot access, customer management and mobile-money collection. its company website describes billing and router management in one platform.
why it matters to us
bringing access and billing together can simplify an operator’s work. the commercial test is whether payments, service access and support remain reliable when connectivity or payment providers fail.
the question we would ask
how are failed payments and interrupted sessions reconciled, and can a small operator resolve a customer problem without specialist support?