Hello Radar community. I’m Kola Aina. CEO of Emerging Platforms Group and most recently, Founder of Ventures Platform Hub.
Emerging Platforms is a suite of technology company’s that build solutions for education, security, and other sectors. Our company started about 6 years ago, when I needed to start a new career after a failure to get into the PHD program of my choice. In the early stages we bootstrapped and grew our clientele base organically. Today we have 84 awesome team members and on Friday will be launching our new company called Ventures Platform.
Ventures Platform is billed to be a start-up launchpad, that offers incubation, co-working spaces, and everything start-ups need in the early stages. We have fused; architecture, design, and art to create a great campus that we believe will stimulate creativity and get people to create their best work.
Besides work, I have a keen interest in the arts (especially African art and Graffiti) and am a sucker for mechanical wristwatches.
Good morning Sir, My name is Alayo Hussein K. Nice having you on the radar platform. What is the driving force that propel you to contributing this much in the E-learning domain .
Hi Mr. Kola, I have been following the launch campaign for Ventures Platform. I must say the campus is mind-blowing.
My question is simple really, why abuja and not lagos?
I like the art that I’ve seen on the building, and I see you got an art professional to do it too. Are you going to combine arts with tech in Ventures Platform? I’m talking about holding exhibitions, arty events and stuff.
That’s a pretty structure you have there. Is it intended to be a permanent fixture, or you’re using it in the interim while you work on something bigger?
When you launch on Friday, how much will startups or individuals have to pay to get a space at VP? What does one have to do to get incubated?
Hi Boye. Thanks for the interests. Our business has been Abuja based from inception and so Abuja was a natural choice when we made the decision to do this 2 years ago. Furthermore the Abuja tech ecosystem needs a space like this right now.
Hi Alayo. Great question. Frankly we just saw a problem that needed to be solved and had the fortune of having a great team to build a solution. Education is critical to Nigeria’s development and struck us as a great place to try to make some impact. It’s not been a cake walk, but we give it our all.
We wanted a sustainable way of extending the existing structure in the space quickly. We also knew from the onset that we wanted to wrap some art / graffiti around the structure, containers do this very well. Finally we wanted an unconventional structure that we could build like Lego blocks m. Containers seemed the best option.
Hi Fird. Yes as part of our programming we intend to have techy, business, and cultural events for the resident and non-community. Cultural events include; exhibitions and shows. We would actually have an exhibition running from the day of our launching on the 3rd. You should check it out. We believe that art, design and architecture and underpinnings of contemporary tech. Plus we just love the arts.
This space is a space we have invested quite a bit in. So we can say we intend to be here for sometime. Our use of containers was not done to intend temporary structures, rather it was done deliberately, to show what is possible with recycling and for art.
We do have plans for a larger campus. But I think you would find this current campus that we have christened “Ventures Park” very stimulating.
Now to the other part of your question.
Our website will open on the 3rd, where you can apply either for incubation or for our co-working spaces.
We have several types of co-working spaces and memberships, from daily (traveller) to monthly dedicated desks and also dedicated closed offices for larger teams. All the prices will be one our website, but they will range from free to 4,500 to 300k.
Our incubation program will accept people on the strength of thier application as they go through our simple 3 stage process and is free with the option to provide boarding as well and some seed funding.
I studied engineering in Uni. Then I veered to investment banking and did work in finance for sometime. I have done publishing and attempted painting art in school. I love design and business model and strategy. Is there another word for “busy body?”
I remain partial to my first love though “Longines”