Mara Launchpad

Mara Launchpad is an entrepreneurship centre in Kampala, Uganda. It exists to provide young businesses in Kampala a professional office space at an affordable rate, as well as creating a base for the various support available to them, and fostering a community of like minds. The centre is located at Ham Towers in Kampala City Centre, adjacent to the campus of Makerere University, East Africa’s foremost higher education institution. The city centre location makes entrepreneurs easily accessible to partners and clients, as well as allowing them to conveniently reach any part of the city.

The space has an open-plan layout with modern furniture befitting the professional image required by ambitious young entrepreneurs. Members are able to make use of a fast wi-fi internet connection, lounge area, conference room, and the professional touch of having their guests received by a receptionist.
This location and facilities would normally come at a cost well out of reach of a small, growing business, yet they go a long way towards enabling Uganda’s most promising young entrepreneurs to position their companies as professional and reliable. At Mara Launchpad, entrepreneurs can drive top-line growth without the big overhead increase that often comes with it.

In addition to the core shared office service, Mara Launchpad is runs a speaker programme and hosts many external events of relevance to entrepreneurs. The speaker programme brings keynote professionals to talk to entrepreneurs on technical issues of relevance to them, such as taxation and venture capital. The Young Entrepreneur Club meetings of the Entrepreneur Launchpad mentorship programme also take place at the Mara Launchpad.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of all to the young entrepreneurs, though, is the benefit of working together in a common space. Sharing of ideas and resources, cross-selling, and professional introductions are an inevitable consequence and of immeasurable benefit to the leaders of small, growing businesses.

Mara Launchpad is has been founded in partnership with Angels Finance Cooperation, a business support organisation started by three Ugandan school friends. Being young Ugandan entrepreneurs themselves, the members of the AFC team are able to directly relate to the needs and challenges of the members of the Launchpad, as well as growing and learning themselves.