Scale Smarter. Lead Braver.
Thrive in the Age of AI.
South Africa’s national business scale-up initiative – launched by Art of Scale in partnership with FNB, designed to support South African entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses.
The initiative addresses key challenges unique to scaling in the SA context in the age of AI, through expert led, practical learning, real-world tools, and a trusted network of other ambitious founders.
Why Now?
Scaling changes the rules. AI changes the game.
Once a business hits around 20 people, the founders-as-system model buckles. What worked in the startup stage stops working – the company now needs a scalable operating system, distributed leadership, and a stronger economic model. Many businesses stall or fail at this point.
The AI revolution raises the stakes: it amplifies the risks, but also creates once-in-a-generation opportunities to accelerate scale. Over the next 12–24 months, those who harness AI to build scalable organisations will surge ahead. Those who don’t will be left behind.
“Founders at Work makes sure you’re not just keeping up – you’re scaling stronger, faster, and smarter.”
Scaling SMEs isn’t just about your business
-it’s about South Africa’s future.
Scale-ups are the engine of job creation and inclusive growth.
By helping founders break through the scaling barrier, Founders at Work supports stronger businesses, more jobs, and a more resilient economy.
Through high-impact engagements, expert guidance, and peer learning,
we give you:
• Proven scaling frameworks (leadership, teams, systems, capital, growth)
• Practical ways to integrate AI where it matters most
• A trusted network of founders facing the same challenges
The Founders At Work Promise
- We combine time-tested scaling methods with the tools and insights you need to lead in today’s rapidly changing environment.
- This is not an AI course.
- It’s a scale-up journey executed through a series of events across the country — with AI woven in as today’s game-changing context.
Who is this for?
Founders and decision-makers
of growing SMEs
Leaders who feel the weight of growth stretched teams, complex systems, and the pressure to adapt fast in the AI era
Scaling-stage businesses
typically 10–200 staff,
R8m–R150m+ turnover
What you get
Learn
- Summits, masterclasses, and podcasts designed for founders
- Practical, expert-led content you can apply immediately
- Insights on scaling fundamentals (leadership, people, systems, growth) — with an AI-era lens
Connect
- A WhatsApp community – your support network in your pocket
- Daily discussions, peer lessons, and access to experts without logins or extra apps
Apply
- Exclusive event resources: workbooks, checklists, and templates from summits & masterclasses
- Turn insights into action straight away
Proof & Credibility
Built on a Proven Foundation
Founders at Work may be new, but it stands on decades of real impact:
FNB and Edge Growth have collaborated to fund and assist scale ups for over 15 years, most recently adding Art of Scale and the book The Art of Scale to that collaboration. 1,000s of South African founders have leveraged Art of Scale coaching, frameworks, bootcamps, platform, and the best-selling book The Art of Scale, for scaling.
Backed By
South Africa's Leaders
FNB
Beyond Banking for SMEs. For over 15 years, FNB has partnered with South Africa’s entrepreneurs through initiatives that combine finance with capacity-building. This Beyond Banking journey – together with Edge and Art of Scale – has laid the foundation for Founders at Work. It’s a natural next step in a partnership that has already helped scale hundreds of SMEs and is now poised to take that impact national.
Art of Scale
Internationally trusted scale up thought leaders and guides
Proof In Action
More About Our Partners
For more than 15 years, FNB has been at the forefront of SME development in South Africa — funding, mentoring, and equipping entrepreneurs to grow.
Together, these programs have already helped scale hundreds of SMEs and created thousands of jobs — proof that investing in scale-ups transforms communities and the economy. These initiatives have laid the foundation for the Founders at Work initiative.
This track record also positions FNB and Art of Scale to take these lessons beyond South Africa, as part of Africa’s scale-up story.
Art of Scale is the implementation engine behind Founders at Work.
Built on the top-selling book The Art of Scale, AoS provides the frameworks, diagnostics, and tools that help founders put what they learn into practice.