Life at GO

There are many reasons why a company might need to prepare financial projections; to attract investors or for approval of bank loans. However the most important one is that it provides the business with a rationalisation that its future is guaranteed, if it can deliver what the projections says.  Financial planning is a critical aspect of the journey of startup founders and it’s something they have to nail early on. This might seem intimidating especially for those who do not have a financial background but in truth there is little to be afraid of. Ultimately, what one has to keep in mind is that the financial plan is not something that one can get right or wrong; it is an estimate which will invariably have a lot of uncertainties. As long as those are well considered, the projections themselves should be fine.  Why is it important?  Can you find the place you’re looking for in a new city without looking at a map? You might and it is possible that you will find it, but yo...

  Today let us all take a minute to acknowledge this years’ Train Your Brain Day. According to HBR, our brain is the most critical organ in our body. It needs fuel and to be stretched to create “OMG!” moments on demand and brave challenges. Expanding our thinking and knowledge can be done in many forms, such as practicing gratitude or acquiring a new skill. In one way or another, these all fall under the learning umbrella so much so that countless research findings highlight that we can shape our brain to manifest more success, joy, happiness in EVERY area of our lives by continually learning and/or exposing ourselves to new things.   People learn in multiple ways and to support this, GO Academy has been set up to offer various learning opportunities that inspire and support our One GO Team to thrive. The learning initiatives offered this year have ranged from companywide academy pillars for all of GO, to self-directed learning that serves as a brilliant opportunity to enco...

   6th October is the  World Cerebral Palsy Day  and it holds a special place in our hearts at GO. Our colleague Jeanesse Abela is a cerebral palsy champion who works hard to raise awareness and educate the local community to look beyond the disability.  Cerebral palsy is one of the most common childhood disabilities that affects the ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Cerebral means having to do with the brain, and palsy refers to the weakness or problems with using the muscles. Today, it is estimated that around 17 million people live with cerebral palsy and World CP Day is an opportunity for the whole world to come together to recognise and spread awareness of what it is and how early intervention can improve the lives of people with it. Jeanesse is a bundle of positivity and never stops smiling. She had to overcome a lot of difficulties while growing up and she managed to do so through her perseverance and passion about life. She has been part ...

  Earlier this summer, Ingrid, our Senior Manager of Business Product Delivery from the Digital Team, was invited to be a judge at Pitchora, a start-up competition. The aim of this competition was to select and award 3 finalists with great Start-up Booster Prizes, including access to a 6-month incubator, seed funding and exposure to a great network of other start-ups and sponsors. 10 startups pitched their projects to a panel of esteemed judges, who all brought their expertise and years of business experience to identify and select the winners with the most innovative idea. Ingrid shares her experience and learnings from participating in an event like Pitchora, what she enjoyed the most and her style as a judge. ‘I had the pleasure of participating in Pitchora by being part of the jury which evaluated the participant start-ups and I had the difficult task of voting for the top three participants. It was a very exciting experience on a number of aspects; firstly, I learnt a lo...

Today marks the International Youth Day, an awareness day designated by the United Nations since 2000 to draw attention to cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.   At GO, we have created a Youth Exposure Programme (YEP) that invites students to work with us while they study. We believe that Youth Exposure is beneficial because it helps our YEP team to get on the job training, develop a professional aptitude and learn how professional workplaces operate. Our YEP team is involved in hands-on projects and has a wide variety of responsibilities.   Cherise spent a year with our Online Team as a Digital Analytics Associate and then she joined us as a full-time employee. Alexandra is our Online Content Assistant and has been part of our team since February 2021.  The Youth Exposure from the eyes of Cherise: ‘I had just finished my Bachelor’s degree in English and I wasn’t sure what career path to follow. During the summer I did some courses on Digital Marketing s...

It is statistically known that less than 10% of startups will last beyond five years and investors are aware of it. They also appreciate the risks of a very young business and they are most likely reject the majority of startup pitches that land in their inbox.  Everyone has their own set of criteria that guides their decisions. We at GO Ventures look for tech related startups who already have a product on the market. Others look at specific segments such as startups related to AI space or that have a solution to an environmental problem. And yet there are some common aspects every investor looks at regardless of the type of idea or business the startup is in. These are elements that founders have to be aware of so if they want to make the right impression when they are looking for funding.  The Founders  When investing in a startup, the reality is that you are trusting the idea and vision of the founders and having someone with passion who fully believes in their idea is...

Another proud achievement for GO Ventures! Passion for innovation and technology led us setting up a sister company, GO Ventures, two years ago to help immerse GO in the startup scene and invest in many of the great ideas there are out there.  During this time, we have met with startup founders, listened to their ideas, learned and grew with them and their businesses.  All of this has given us great insight into what makes a startup work and how best to support it. Because of our experience, GO Ventures was tasked with supporting Tunisie Telecom in holding the first joint startup challenge.  There is a burgeoning startup scene in Tunisia and the ambition was that of identifying a startup looking to expand into Europe with a telecom related product. For the winner, the prize was a substantial financial reward and the opportunity to validate their product in Malta. This challenge was met with enthusiasm and a significant number of startups applied to be considered. These ap...