Spotlight on start-ups and entrepreneurs at the U-Start Conference

The conference, which took place in Milan from 13-14 May, connects investors and entrepreneurs from different ecosystems, building up the so-called U-Entrepreneurs global network. The coverage of the event reflects the strong presence of U-Start in some of the most promising emerging markets, such as Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Turkey and Russia.
Through a strict vetting and criteria process only the most exciting startups will be selected and invited to the main event in Milan, where they will have the chance to present and demo to international investors.

James Durrant, founder and Mentor of Mamba Mentors and digital production agency, Bluegrass Digital (amongst others) that was founded by James at the start of the dot com era and continues to thrive today, was invited to address the conference about the entrepreneurial tech space in Africa.

Durrant's passion lies in his innate ability to identify the potential of a great idea and thereby enable the process of bringing it to life with his experience in establishing businesses in South Africa and the UK. His long-standing involvement in the tech industry in South Africa and the UK has afforded him the expertise and credibility to successfully guide start-ups.

According to U-Start CEO, Stefano Guidotti, "I've had the luck to being connected to James by one of our key people in South Africa, where James is well respected and admired by everybody working in the startup/VC ecosystem. James is one of the most driven and illuminated mentors and early stage investors I've ever met, and his commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in Africa is as powerful as effective. If I had an ongoing investment in an early stage company in Africa, I would definitely seek his advice and guidance, and having him on board would be a top quality risk moderator."