The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has partnered with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to help 10 South African technology SMEs become investment-ready and gain access to new markets and sources of capital.
The 16-week pilot programme, launched on September 30, will support businesses in the health, agriculture and fintech sectors with investment preparation, market access and connections to potential investors.
The initiative is also designed to test whether the JSE can play a larger role in supporting high-growth technology businesses before they reach the traditional capital-markets stage.
10 SMEs selected for the programme
The participating companies were selected based on factors including their existing products or services, level of operational maturity and commercial potential.
Through the programme, the businesses will receive support in areas such as:
- Investment readiness
- Pitch development
- Access to investor networks
- Market opportunities
- Sector-specific engagements
- Potential sources of capital
Participants will also take part in a market access day designed to connect them with relevant JSE networks and commercial opportunities.
By the end of the programme, the JSE and TIA expect participating businesses to have funding-ready pitch materials, market linkages and a pipeline of potential capital engagements.
Some businesses could progress towards AltX
The programme does not guarantee funding or a stock-market listing for any of the participating companies.
However, some participants could become eligible for AltX screening, the JSE's assessment process for companies that may eventually qualify for its alternative market for smaller and growing businesses.
The distinction is important: the programme is primarily designed to move businesses closer to investment readiness, rather than directly providing them with funding or listing them on the exchange.
Tackling South Africa's commercialisation gap
For TIA, the partnership addresses a longstanding challenge in South Africa's innovation ecosystem — turning locally developed technologies into commercially successful businesses.
“One of the key challenges in the innovation value chain is ensuring that new technologies and innovations are commercialised and access the markets,” said Patrick Krappie, TIA's executive for innovation enabling.
Krappie described the partnership with JSE Rise, the exchange's SME investment-readiness programme, as part of TIA's role as a “connector and facilitator” for the commercialisation of locally developed innovations.
The agency hopes the programme will help businesses move beyond developing technology to finding customers, markets and capital.
JSE expands SME support into technology
The initiative expands the JSE's SME Rise programme into technology-related sectors that the exchange considers important to economic growth.
According to Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen, SMEs account for 91% of formal businesses, provide 60% of jobs and contribute up to 34% of South Africa's GDP.
JSE Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer Vuyo Lee said the partnership would help technology SMEs develop the capabilities needed to compete in regional and global markets.
“We are pleased to expand our suite of SME Rise development solutions to support sectors that are critical to driving economic growth,” Lee said.
Bringing capital-market preparation forward
The partnership reflects an attempt to address a common challenge faced by growing technology businesses.
Traditionally, companies approach capital markets after developing products, securing customers, generating revenue and establishing the financial and governance systems required by investors.
The JSE and TIA are now testing whether bringing some of that preparation earlier in the business lifecycle can improve the prospects of innovative companies reaching the stage where they can access formal capital markets.
There are already examples of technology businesses progressing through the JSE's market structure.
Optasia, a global fintech platform providing mobile financial services, listed on the JSE Main Board in November 2025 at an implied market capitalisation of R23.5 billion ($1.4 billion).
Technology company 4Sight also moved from AltX to the JSE Main Board in January 2025.
Why the programme matters
For the participating businesses, the initiative could provide access to investors, markets and commercial networks that may otherwise be difficult to reach.
For the JSE, it represents an opportunity to engage with promising technology companies earlier in their growth journey and potentially build a stronger pipeline of businesses that could eventually access formal capital markets.
For TIA and South Africa's broader innovation ecosystem, the programme is aimed at closing the gap between innovation and commercialisation.
If the 16-week pilot proves successful, it could provide a model for helping more technology-driven SMEs move from developing innovative products to becoming investment-ready, commercially viable and capable of competing beyond South Africa.
Source: Techcabal
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