Maurice Otieno, General Manager Mettā Nairobi, says the company will host its third fashion product lab powered by HIVOS East Africa in Nairobi in August.
Otieno said the event would host five fashion startups in its third bootcamp programme – Fashion Product Lab 3.0. Selected from 300 applications all over the country, and that the five startups would kick off the programme in August.
According to him, the designers accepted into the programme were selected after a rigorous multi-phase selection process which focused on the viability of their fashion businesses, creative designs & portfolio, and their potential to scale across the continent and globally.
Fashion Product Lab 3.0 is an 8-week intensive programme helping entrepreneurs in the fashion industry launch their brands into local & international markets and develop new & diverse product lines.
Otieno explained that as part of the programme, the 2019 cohort will have the opportunity to engage with high-profile speakers, experts, mentors, and a global network of support throughout the programme as well as access to the Mettā space in Nairobi and the global Mettā community.  
“Under the concept of ‘Inspiring Change – Unleash the Potential,’ Mettā will provide an intensive bootcamp programme to the fashion designers using our expertise in the local business environment and financial services. This will help them to unleash their full potential and turn innovative ideas into practical solutions,” says Otieno.
The Fashion Product Lab 3.0 will conclude in a one-of-a-kind Fashion Runway in September 2019, where entrepreneurs will pitch their companies and showcase their collections for funding and partnerships.