iHub By Jessica Colaco / April 2, 2012
Announcing funding from Google to support the iHub community
The journey with Google and iHub over the last 2 years
Google and iHub have grown together with the community over the last two years learning from each other through events such as Ladies Mapping parties, Trainings on Google Earth, Fireside Chats with Marissa Mayer, Office Hours with Bob Aman and Hackathons . These sessions have strengthened our collaboration and through them we have identified areas to work together and strengthen the iHub community further this year.
Joe Mucheru during the 1st year anniversary last year in March
The funding and plans
Today, we are proud to announce funding of USD 150,000 (Ksh. 12M) from Google to support the iHub community. This funding will help accelerate our mission in catalyzing technology innovations within the iHub by providing them with the infrastructure and skill-sets to fuel their innovations to the next level. With this funding, we seek to:
- Expand our infrastructure (network and server technology) to provide the tech community with a “sandbox” to host and test their applications
- Set up a UX testing lab to provide training on design thinking and carry out UX research in the tech world
- Setup the “ExchangeBoard Project” to support high-quality G+ hangouts and display the latest newsfeeds within the tech community
- Set up an experimental super-computer cluster environment (“rackspace”) to host data intensive applications with require high performance computing
About the iHub
Founded 2 years ago, the iHub has grown tremendously to become the go to place for all things techie in East Africa. This space is home to many of Kenya’s young entrepreneurs, freelance software developers, designers and researchers. It also acts as a nexus point for them to interact with our network of investors and VCs while providing them with a co-working space.
As entrepreneurs engage with their peers and bounce ideas off each other, a culture of open innovation is nurtured. The iHub has given rise to new promising startups and technologies. With an average membership age of about 24 years, these youth are embracing technology in innovative ways to create sustainable impact in Kenya.
The iHub model has had great impact in the local tech scene and more and more young people are embracing the idea of co-working for their ventures. As a result of constant interaction through collaborations and meet-ups, a solid network and synergistic tech community has grown in Nairobi. Our mission at iHub is simply to catalyze technological innovations in Nairobi, by creating an open space for entrepreneurship, research, hacking and connecting industry stakeholders.
Author : Jessica Colaco
Founding iHub Manager - 2010 - 2011 at iHub, Research Director @iHubResearch, Mobile and Robotics Tech Evangelist @iHub_Robotics, Co-Founder of @WMIAfrica and @AkiraChix, @TED Global Fellow 2009 and Guitarist.
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18 Comments
Lauren Rosenberg at 13:18:43PM Monday, April 2, 2012
Awesome! UX testing lab #ftw
ReplyEmmanuel Chenze at 14:23:32PM Monday, April 2, 2012
A good move by Google. I and many young people with aspirations of making it through innovation in tech and related fields are motivated by such initiatives like the iHub.
ReplyTekedia » Google Awards $150,000 Grant To Kenyan iHub For Infrastructure Development at 15:17:39PM Monday, April 2, 2012
[...] writes a cheque of $150,000 to Kenya Hub, iHub. Congrats to the iHub guys. They are doing well and these [...]
ReplyKenya’s iHub Receives $150,000 Funding From Google | TechLoy at 16:09:21PM Monday, April 2, 2012
[...] tech and developer community space, iHub today announced that it has received funding of USD $150,000 from Google to support infrastructure [...]
ReplyNjeri Rionge at 17:32:24PM Monday, April 2, 2012
This is GREAT NEWS! Well Done.
Replyhawi at 10:27:16AM Tuesday, April 3, 2012
This is great news. From Usalama forum, it is great to be associated with IHub; being a safety expert and it invoke hope for youth. I have seen the dreams come true
ReplyKagai Macharia at 07:47:36AM Monday, April 9, 2012
Startups in Kenya have just been leapfrogged to the next. We are all psyched up…
ReplyMutinda Boniface at 09:35:59AM Monday, April 9, 2012
Waoooooh!!!! its awesome….. thumbs up for the good work u have done n still doing….
ReplyProfNandaa at 15:21:06PM Monday, April 9, 2012
Good news! Especially on UX
ReplyBeiYangu at 10:49:10AM Tuesday, April 10, 2012
“Super-computer cluster environment” Sweeeeeet!
Replymojo706 at 12:17:49PM Tuesday, April 10, 2012
With this new funding will you subsidize your membership plans?
ReplyPatelo at 07:48:32AM Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I have always been so excited at what is happening at iHub and its wonderful to know Google Africa is too!
Replycaddy at 18:58:26PM Wednesday, April 11, 2012
network and server technology pretty cool. Thanx
ReplyThe iHub UX Lab and Supercomputer Cluster — WhiteAfrican at 07:23:49AM Wednesday, May 23, 2012
[...] are fortunate to have excellent corporate partners at the iHub, one of which is Google, who provided some funding to get two initiatives off the [...]
ReplyThe iHub UX Lab and Supercomputer Cluster | *iHub_ at 16:00:00PM Wednesday, May 23, 2012
[...] are fortunate to have excellent corporate partners at the iHub, one of which is Google, who provided some funding to get two initiatives off the [...]
ReplyThe iHub UX Lab and Supercomputer Cluster | InnovationAfrica at 16:59:29PM Saturday, May 26, 2012
[...] are fortunate to have excellent corporate partners at the iHub, one of which is Google, who provided some funding to get two initiatives off the [...]
ReplyMauri Yambo at 09:59:01AM Friday, June 1, 2012
Th funding is definitely modest; but just as definitely, it gives iHub Google’s incalculably valuable stamp of approval, and will help iHub play the crucial role that some of us see the likes of iHub playing in the overall advancement of Africa (see my blog post on the role of African philanthropy
ReplyEric Schmidt at the iHub | *iHub_ at 10:23:09AM Wednesday, January 16, 2013
[...] of iHub’s major partners, collaborating in projects, working with the tech community and funding the expansion of the iHub space, and the build out of the UX Lab and the iHub [...]
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