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Whether it is for a discussion, coming in to listen to a speaker, technology challenge, you will almost always find the people at the iHub coming in and going out well into the night. It has been the home for many all brought together by innovation within the tech space in Kenya.
Welcome to the iHub. Infact the word innovation in Kenya has become synonymous with the iHub with many startups having gone through the capable hands and many young techprenuers being inspired to start their own entities.
And now, tech community working space and accelerator iHub will be celebrating its fifth birthday in a week, counting up its accomplishments as the m:lab, their User Experience Laband Consulting initiatives and the Gearbox started together with Sanergy, Ushahidiand BRCK.
On their blog, Director Josiah Mugambi painted a clear picture of being an amalgamation of different initiatives that are geared towards catalyzing the growth of the Kenyan tech community. It has done this by acting as a connector, allowing world captains in business and technology to meet with aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as developers, engineers, investors and founders.
“Through our initiatives, we have been working with individual entrepreneurs and startups towards their establishing or becoming successful companies. The iHub has surfaced information that is useful to startups, corporates, and other organisations and people in the tech ecosystem. In most cases, this is made easily available, accessible and digestible as we believe in creating a new centre of knowledge, with insights from our ecosystem, for the local and global technology community. The iHub is not merely an incubator (that’s what the m:lab does), or a co-working space (that’s on 4th floor),” said Mugambi.
“While looking at the future and in what direction the iHub might head, it is tempting to spend time planning out each and every detail. I however like the idea of havinga compass rather than a mapto guide our journey, keeping us focused on what we stand for and what we want to achieve. Our ultimate goal is to continuously fuel an ecosystem of innovation and technology that allows people to create enterprises that creatively solve problems around them using technology, while shaping the way African innovation is viewed by the world,” he added.
With an eye on financing for startups Mugambi saiD they will continue to develop collaborative partnerships that will also be able to tap into the creative juices and smart, innovative minds of the iHub community, resulting in new and innovative uses of technology and ways of financing tech start-ups.
“There’s also room for innovative ways of providing for and raising early-stage funding, which we hope to help set up in the not too distant future,” said Mugambi.
