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Interesting. Is this the first time a big tech company is offering startup funds or is there any other such instances previously?

Also, Did anyone know the reasons behind why they choice i.e South Africa for the pilot program? Edit: Hasty reply before completing the FAQ! Checked 'Why Cape Town'. :)

http://www.google.co.za/intl/en/umbono/faq.html

"Cape Town is in the process of positioning itself as a hub for innovation and technology, as evidenced by: the Cape IT Initiative, the Bandwidth Barn, the presence of a growing tech industry in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, strong University computer science programs (UCT Stellenbosch, UWC, CPUT, etc), and the formation of the Silicon Cape network. We feel that all of these factors are key to the development of a sustainable, entrepreneurial environment in the technology sector." - FAQ 17.

The Bandwidth Barn? I'd like to see this barn and maybe borrow some, because bandwidth is something I don't see much of here in Cape Town.
Not sure why they didn't choose Silicon Roundabout...
Wow. Time to pull my socks up and submit some of the ideas I've had and prototyped. Any other SA entrepreneurs who need a tech co-founder? I'm a good programmer in need of a business co-founder. Let me know.
i have some tech background (java, perl) but am more business savvy. i am based in USA but will def make the move to SA
my email is in my profile. pop me a mail if you would like to chat.