Red Bull is positioning themselves in the tech space in South Africa with the launch of Red Bull Basement.
Red Bull Basement focuses on creative use of technology in urban areas, “where more than half of the world’s population is living and facing constant challenges”.
According to the press release, at the heart of the Basement programme is social innovation.
“By combining social and technology ideas, collective and environmental problems can be solved.
“This will result in the development of not only the urban areas but also surrounding communities.”
To facilitate a social focus, the Red Bull Basement is built around hacker residency, a makerspace with free workshops, and monthly lectures. This setup will help guide and grow core innovative ideas from a prototype stage.
A core part of the programme is the Hatch events, which will take place in Johannesburg and Cape Town. These are a pipeline to expose the public to the programme and application process.
The residency will operate over two months, from 1 September to 31 October 2018 in Johannesburg. Those selected for the residency will have access to a state-of-the-art makerspace, which will include classes and mentorship sessions over the two-month period.
A range of technology innovators and thinkers will mentor and give guidance to each project. These experts range from a wide array of fields, such as entrepreneurship, software development, design, and hardware.
In order to participate, applicants will need a project that is already in the early production stage. This can consist of a blueprint draft, pictures, 3D models, pieces of code and even a working prototype.
The Basement Programme aims to expand and grow the tech community while establishing a brand that people can align themselves with. This includes supporting the maker, hacker, and tech ecosystems while guiding innovative and social growth.
