La Plage Factory Community Update – May 2025

After a vibrant meetup session, the spotlight turned to our signature startup pitches session, and this time, the stage welcomed a new wave of purpose-driven talent.  

Students from African Leadership College of Higher Education (ALCHE) stepped up to share bold projects they’ve been developing to solve real-world challenges in their communities. 

The students are part of ALCHE’s Entrepreneurial Leadership degree track, where learning goes far beyond the classroom.  

The participants included: 
– A winning team from ALCHE’s recent E-Lab pitch competition, who took first place for their outstanding solution to a local challenge; 
– And a student representative from other entrepreneurial groups, curious and motivated to explore how La Plage Factory supports early-stage innovation. 

This wasn’t just a pitch session; it was an exchange of ideas across generations, disciplines, and experiences. Attendees included founders, mentors, students, and expert guests who offered constructive feedback and encouragement. It was a moment of genuine ecosystem building — the kind we thrive on at La Plage Factory. 

Educating for Impact: ALCHE Joins the La Plage Factory Ecosystem 

One of the standout moments of May came through our renewed  collaboration with the African Leadership College of Higher Education (ALCHE) — our Guest Partner of the Month. 

While many may know of ALU (African Leadership University) based in Rwanda, its early beginnings were here in Mauritius. The Mauritian campus evolved into ALC (African Leadership College) under the accreditation of Glasgow Caledonian University in UK and has now proudly earned its accreditation in Mauritius as a higher education institution under the name “ALCHE”. This milestone marks a new chapter for the institution, which now delivers its own degrees independently of its former UK partner. 

ALCHE offers forward-looking programs with a strong focus on preparing students to lead with purpose and tackle real-world challenges: Bachelor of Entrepreneurial Leadership, International Business and Trade, Computer Science, and Software Engineering. The Entrepreneurial Leadership degree, in particular, creates a natural connection with La Plage Factory’s mission to incubate Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs and tech leaders. 

Earlier in May, this connection took root when our mentor Franck Da Costa joined the jury panel for ALCHE’s E-Lab Final Presentations, alongside Kelly Ng-Lun from Punch by MCB. This academic initiative challenged six student teams from across Africa to design solutions for issues such as clean water access, energy equity, women’s safety, and malnutrition. The students delivered bold, community-rooted ideas with social impact at their core — showing remarkable engagement and creativity. 

Building on that momentum, ALCHE’s leadership, faculty, and students visited La Plage Factory for our May edition of Let’s Meet Up. As Guest Partner of the Month, they shared their story, presented their vision, and explored deeper collaboration with our ecosystem. 

We’re inspired by ALCHE’s experiential learning model and bold ambition to develop millions of ethical, entrepreneurial African leaders, and we’re thrilled to see this growing relationship take shape. We look forward to deepening the exchange between our communities in the months ahead. 

Afrilabs Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Webinar 

Also in May, La Plage Factory joined the Afrilabs IPR Webinar, a timely and insightful session focused on the critical role of IP in Africa’s startup and innovation landscape. 

Led as part of Afrilabs’ capacity-building efforts, the session explored essential Intellectual Property (IP) topics, from patents and trade secrets to IP management strategies — all with a view to helping founders, hubs, and ecosystem players better protect and scale their ideas. 

Participants were also introduced to a wide range of freely available resources, including: 

In an increasingly knowledge-driven economy, understanding how to protect intangible assets is not a luxury; it’s a strategic necessity. We’re glad to have taken part in this important conversation and will continue to advocate for stronger IP literacy among our community of innovators.  

Call to action 

This Thursday, June 12, we’re celebrating a key pillar of our innovation ecosystem: Mo Angels’ 4th Anniversary & Annual General Meeting! 

From investor impact to startup support, Mo Angels has been instrumental in financing and accelerating innovation in Mauritius and beyond. The celebration at La Terrasse, Domaine de Labourdonnais will feature strategic insights, startup pitches, and ecosystem connections — not to mention good food, wine, and inspiring conversations. 

Are you an investor or ecosystem player interested in angel investing? Reach out to the Mo Angels team at hello@mo-angels.com or DM them on LinkedIn to book your slot. 

Let’s celebrate progress — and shape what’s next. 

Join our community of innovators  

Are you passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship? Eager to make a difference? 

We invite potential founders, mentors, experts, and sponsors to join our vibrant community. Your expertise, guidance, and support can help shape the next generation of smart entrepreneurs and drive meaningful change.  

“Let's build a brighter future together for Mauritius, Africa, and the world!”