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Innovus's Venture Support Manager, Doris Peters, received the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) award for professional excellence in innovation management at the organisation's annual awards celebrations, which was held in Maputo, Mozambique on 4 September this year.
Anita Nel, Chief Director: Innovation and Commercialisation, said Peters is one of the longest-serving members of the South African technology transfer community. "She recently received international Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) status, a peer-reviewed recognition for excellence in the technology transfer profession, based on the establishment of SU's company support division and startup concierge that she spearheaded," said Nel, who nominated Peters for this prestigious award.
Peters, who has been with Innovus for 24 years, was nominated for the SARIMA award for her lion's share of Innovus's new "Instant Startup Toolkit", an innovative online platform that is a comprehensive support tool designed to assist entrepreneurs to make the transition from idea to commercial venture. It also empowers both our staff and students and the (often under-resourced) technology transfer office to validate the idea, identify customers, consider risks, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses in the business, develop a business model, decide on team members, prepare for investors (including building a data room and populating it, and preparing an investor pitch deck) and much more. It is an interactive space for entrepreneurial teams to explore, collaborate, learn, and record the growth of their business ideas in companies. Here, they find the latest startup tools, techniques and governance requirements, and business needs in one secure platform.
Nel says this digital platform takes an entrepreneur through a series of activities and guided support that allow them to build their business plan canvas, business models, pitch decks and more. "It also includes startup guidance, downloadable templates, a business checklist, and focus teamwork activities to provide maximum benefit to an entrepreneur's business. Whether they work alone or interactively with their team, one of Innovus's dedicated Technology Transfer Professionals and the support team becomes part of their growing business."
"We know that spinouts have limited resources; therefore, Peters and her team have designed a modular process to take teams on a step-by-step journey from idea to profitable business. It also helps entrepreneurs to build a data room that is due diligence ready, prepared to develop a pitch deck for investors and to draft a business model canvas and a business proposal," said Nel.
?A considerable benefit of this platform, launched in 2022 and completed in 2024, is that it dramatically scales Innovus's TTO's capacity. The office can now service many entrepreneurs with far less active involvement from their team members, solving a critical problem in their office.
Peters said she was utterly overwhelmed by this accolade and dedicated it to the Innovus team. "I am surrounded by wonderful and extremely competent people who worked with me on the Instant Startup. They make my work so much easier and fun. Together, we earned this award," said Peters.
Doris provides a concierge-type support service for SU's group of over 32 spin-out companies. She is also the company secretary for ten of these companies, ensuring that corporate governance is effectively embedded without diverting the attention of the founders too much. She negotiated significant discounts on behalf of the group of startups with various service providers, including bookkeepers, website designers, patent and trademark attorneys, commercial attorneys, a fitness gym, and the list continues.
The work does not stop here for her. At home, there is no time for feet up, as she has enrolled for a B. Com: Entrepreneurship degree through Unisa, which she does part-time. "Planning is super important in my life," Peters says. "On weekends and evenings, I am behind the books and have to work very hard – it is my superpower. Sean Peters (my husband) and Anita Nel are my biggest supporters and are the ones who keep my head above water."
"If there is one person who really deserves this award, it is Peters," says Nel.
Peters has also been a long-standing and active member of SARIMA, the membership organisation that unites research and innovation practitioners to enhance these disciplines and institutional capabilities.
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