iHub | *iHub

Prix Ars Electronica: iHub attains Honorary Mention

The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. The Golden Nica, the highest prize, was awarded in the following categories:

iHub received an honorary mention in the Digital Communities category. This is a great accomplishment in a span of 2 years in Kenya

By: Simeon Oriko

10-05-2012

Events iHub

Twitter Community Developer Teatime – Nairobi

Twitter has been hosting community-organized Developer Teatimes around the globe, allowing them to meet many developers building great applications on the Twitter platform

Twitter continues to push forward with the latest series of community-organized Teatime events in a number of new cities. With this format, the local organizers will give a presentation on the Twitter APIs followed by local companies sharing experiences and best practices for integrating with the platform. Twitter platform team members will be participating remotely during the Q&A session

The iHub will host a Twitter Teatime in Nairobi on Tuesday 29th May 2012 from 7 pm to – 9:30 pm

To join the local Twitter developer community for this event, please sign up below! Members from the Twitter developer relations team will be dialing in for audience Q&A as well.

RSVP: https://dev.twitter.com/form/nairobi-teatime

By: Research Admin

09-05-2012

iHub iHub-Research

iHub Entrepreneurs Report

By Hilda Moraa and Wangechi Mwangi

(Download the report here )

Abstract

This research aimed to understand the impact of the ICT Hubs to entrepreneurs. An ICT hub is a space where technologists congregate to bounce ideas around, network, work, program and design to bring their ideas to fruition.

The first ICT Hub of the 15 hubs to be profiled within this study series is iHub, Nairobi’s innovation Hub for the Technology Community. The study found that 100% of the entrepreneurs appreciate the iHub space as it has been a conducive and innovative co-working space that drives continuous networking through the events, community meet-ups that leads to collaboration and partnerships, sharing skills and knowledge through teamwork among others.

This is likely because most of these talented entrepreneurs having graduated with no formal job opportunities, have had their talents and skills nurtured and housed under these hubs. Overall, the entrepreneurs believe that the iHub can further sustain this co-working spirit by building more capacity through communal projects and active virtual member interaction among others.

The iHub Study

The first part of the iHub study described the various factors that make up the iHub model which you can download at this link. The second phase of the study was aimed at assessing the impact of that model to the entrepreneurs. After our initial pre-test findings, we made necessary amendments to our methodologies and we settled on a mix of methodologies: in-depth interviews, observation, and interactions were used for the Green and Red members, as those members were more easily available since they work from the space. Focus groups with the start-ups were also used.

E-surveys and phone interviews were used for the white members since they access the iHub services and community virtually, and it was harder to find them due to their busy schedule and the fact that most of them are not based within the iHub space.A total of 25 members: n=15 (60%) Green members, n=5 (20%) Red members and n=5 (20%) White members formed the sample population. A criterion was used to select the sample size based on the period they have been on the space, have attended at least 2 events and are working on different aspects based on their skills set.

Key Objectives

As mentioned earlier the key objectives of the research was to investigate what factors make up the ICT Hubs model and how the model itself impacts to the entrepreneurs in the space, that make them to actively continue to use the space. In the coming months, the study will also focus on other initiatives in the eco-system such as innovations at high level of education and upcoming local tech companies’ in order to measure the innovation in the country, which will then be replicated to other hubs, and initiatives around Africa.

In the long run the research will aim to do a comparative study to identify what unique factors came out of the different hubs that make them successful creating an impaction on the economy’s development that is adoption of new technologies and innovations of employment leading to improvement in the living standards.

This research revealed how the iHub started, the impact of the iHub on the individual entrepreneurs, the kinds of members using the space daily or regularly (whether they are freelancers, people working in start-ups, people developing start-ups or employees of other companies who work at the iHub), how often they come to the iHub, what they do on a daily basis, whether the members skills are improving and how, what they appreciate about the space, the challenges they have faced while using the space and the overall changes they would like to see this year in the iHub.

The research was also specific in trying to understand how the entrepreneurs are working in their start-ups, what they are working on, whether the start-ups started before or after joining the iHub, where the team members met, the size of the teams, whether they have clients, investors, or mentors and how they make their money. It also gives more insights on the challenges that they have faced, the lessons that they are learning while working within their teams and from the community as well, how the friendships and connections that the members are forming while in their start-ups are affecting their start-up, the scale of growth of the entrepreneurs and the start-ups based on the growth parameters that they are using to determine this growth. Also key was the factors that make the entrepreneurs continue to use the space as illustrated below:

How the iHub Community Uses the Space

The iHub Community

The respondents appreciated the community, which stood to be a core aspect of the iHub. The community has a mix of skills to share and collaborate and many partnerships have emerged, potential clients referred, and friendships formed. Other significant factors included :the events, Internet connectivity, community, open culture, open innovation through the community sharing skills and working in teams, and the iHub physical space above all, have been significant factors of the iHub model that have added value to the entrepreneurial spirit at the iHub, and the wider technology community in Nairobi.

This research aimed to inform current and future African Hubs/Labs on the community’s opinion of areas of positive impact and areas of improvement for the Hubs/Labs. The study looks at the principles and organizational model adopted in existing African ICT Hubs to understand the impact of the Hubs on the entrepreneurs. Bearing in mind that the Hubs/Labs vary in implementation structure, there are numerous lessons to learn from each other for the benefit of the community of entrepreneurs that drive the spaces.

Conclusion

In addition to this report, the research team has formulated an internal report for the iHub that will help them to address specific key issues and targeted feedback raised by the members. The researchers will have a formal meeting with the iHub management to present the internal report.

This study is just the beginning of better understanding innovation in Africa. Simultaneously as African Governments and private sector stakeholders invest in ICT-related investments and infrastructure, there is a need for active participation from different ICT stakeholders to work on making local innovations a reality and accelerating them to the market through an ideal environment and favorable policies to encourage open innovation and entrepreneurship.

By: Research Admin

08-05-2012

Community iHub iHub-Research

iHub Research Office Hours

Born out of a need to give back to the community, Office Hours are a way for iHub Research members to engage with the tech community and to interact with the iHub Research team to understand what they are working on.

Just one month into the Office Hours program, the iHub Research team have found that Office hours have become an important way for them to share their unique skills sets with iHub members, adding value to the iHub community.

Some of the interesting Office Hours have included: legal consultancy for start-ups (at no cost!), business development , experience design and writing proposals, grants and reports – important skills for any entrepreneurs. These have largely been based on the feedback we have received from the iHub community, who expressed a need for skill-sharing among the tech community.

If you would like to engage iHub Research to find out more about on-going projects and request for information, you can access the website -www .research .ihub .co .ke . This schedule will be updated every month on the iHub Research website (research.ihub.co.ke).

The May schedule:

*This schedule is subject to change every month.

The team invites members who have skills that they would like to share to send an email to the iHub Research team research@ihub.co.ke

By: Simeon Oriko

07-05-2012

Creatives Events iHub

Quarterly Creativez Catchup

Stats, facts and figures. A lot has been happening in Kenyas Creative economy in the last few years and as we garner a name as well as positions ourselves in creative fields we need to know as Kenyan Creatives – Where Are We going?

Is the Creative Industry in Kenya as fragmented as it looks? Where are the societies, associations and groups that can galvanise different sectors together? What are the common challenges we all face and how can we counter these? What Industry projects are there that we should know about and support? And finally with a new government coming in 2013 what do we need in terms of capacity, investment, resources and support to grow our creative economy locally and globally?

YOU, are our Special Guest and we are super excited to hear YOUR about your projects, thoughts, concerns and solutions this Sunday. A brief summary on the Creative Scenerio presented by The Creativez will set the tone for The Catchup so do come on time.

DON’T MISS The Catchup especially if you are in these fields: digital animation (visual and sound effects),Broadcast (TV, radio and film), Visual arts , Digital media (mobile applications and internet), Publishing/Writing, Gaming, Performing arts and cultural expressions, Advertising, Architecture, Art and antiques markets, Crafts, Design, Designer fashion, Interactive leisure software and Music.

For info or clarification kindly email us at TheCreativez@gbs.co.ke or tweet us on @TheCreativez or drop a line here https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheCreativez/328928143784107

Please RSVP here: http://catchup.eventbrite.com/

By: Jessica Colaco

06-05-2012

Community Creatives iHub iHub-Research Members

Research Advice: Designing An Infographic

Information graphics, visual representations of data known as infographics. Over the past few months, iHub Research has being creating infographics to represent data. Well here are some of the lessons we have learnt in the design process:

Keep it simple and try not do too much in one picture.
Decide on a colour scheme and template
Think of it as a visual essay: ensure your arguments hold and are relevant.
Draw conclusions.
Reference your facts in the infographic.

Some infographic formats include:

Timelines;
Flow charts;
Annotated maps;
Graphs;
Venn diagrams;
Size comparisons;
Showing familiar objects or similar size or value.

Source: http://spyrestudios.com/

Creating your infographic

Plan and research.
Use free software to create simple graphs and visualisations of data.
Use vector graphic software to bring these visualisations into the one graphic.

If you have a little design skill, the very best approach is to create all the simple graphs and illustrations yourself using vector graphic software. Your end result will be more visually attractive and you will have more freedom to be creative with it. Here is a great link to get you started.

Need an infographic done by iHub Research, well email us at: research@ihub.co.ke with the subject INFOGRAPHIC CREATION

By: Leo Mutuku

01-05-2012

Community Events iHub iHub-Research m:lab Uncategorized

Kenya’s Mobile Money Revolution: M-Pesa turns Five

courtesy of Squad Digital

Safaricom’s mobile money phenomenon, M-Pesa, clocked 5 years, early this year on March 6, 2012. These five years have seen M-Pesa grow from humble beginnings as a small unit, when it was started in Kenya by a Safaricom -Vodafone partnership, to a fully fledged department.

To celebrate its five years of existence, Safaricom came up with a campaign dubbed ‘celebrating five years of changing lives’ which has been captured in both interactive and static infographics (HT the Safaricom Limited and Squad Digital teams respectively). This campaign highlights the key milestones that have been marked by M-Pesa over the years including various awards and innovations coming from that end.

courtesy of Safaricom

A snapshot of M-PESA:

The number of MPesa users has risen from 19,671 in 2007 to an astounding 15 million users to date transacting between them over Kshs.1.4 TRILLION .
The number of MPesa agents has also risen from 355 in 2008 to over 37,000 agents countrywide.
Safaricom reduced the minimum value of MPesa transaction from Kshs. 50 to Kshs. 10 in this first five years of operation to cater for all segments of the population while the maximum value of an MPesa transaction has also risen from Kshs. 35,000 initially to Kshs. 140,000
There are 25 banks in the M-PESA network with a coverage of 700+ ATMs where you can withdraw your money from. Further, through Western Union, we can now receive money on M-Pesa from over 70 countries worldwide.
Safaricom has been recognized by GSMA as the Best Mobile Transfer Service, by Africom for Innovative Technology and Life Changing Solutions, among many other international acclaims.
Kenyans for Kenya successful campaign to raise funds for the 3.5 million drought-stricken people facing starvation in Kenya in 2011 used M-PESA as one of the main platforms to receive donations; over 150 million raised via M-PESA alone.

M-Pesa’s success has been attributed severally to the fact that it provides options to many of the country’s unbanked to move and receive money in a relatively easy and affordable manner. We congratulate Safaricom for their flagship innovation’s 5 years anniversary and wait to see what greater impact M-Pesa will have on our society in the coming years.

In case you missed the links, check out these infographics: Celebrating 5 Years of M-Pesa and M-Pesa’s Timeline, Celebrating 5 Years of Changing Lives

By: Anne Salim

23-04-2012

iHub iHub-Research

Why Doesn’t Every Business In Kenya Have A Mobile Money Account?

Ignacio Mas and Amolo Ngw’eno carried out a research project commissioned by FSD Kenya to understand the business use of M-PESA. iHub Research attended the event where the findings of the research were presented. Below is a summary of the event.

An underlying assumption that the researchers were looking to understand was, “if every business was connected to a mobile payment system, what would be the impact to the economy?”.

Some motivating factors that could push the mobile money ecosystem are as follows:

a) Social uses- people helping each other;

b) Financial Inclusion- people accessing financial services creating financial products (financial products are a pattern of transactions over time);

c) Business Uses- businesses being more efficient, entrepreneurship unleashed, having larger businesses serving the base of the pyramid, faster enterprise growth resulting in more job creation.

The researchers surveyed 75 businesses in Nairobi, Kisumu, Limuru, and Nakuru. They did not interview any banks or microfinance institutions, but instead focused on the small businesses like supermarkets, the juakali sector.

Major Findings:

It was reported that most businesses viewed M-PESA as a direct alternative to cash. A majority of the businesses still used cheques. RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) was a limitation because it required a transaction of over 1million KES to use. Large businesses preferred paying with cheques and the small businesses with cash. Cheques were preferred overall because they made it easier to track the status of payments. Most employees were paid through bank transfers.

M-PESA was found to be useful to taxi cabs and late night bars; utilities and schools, for making emergency and unplanned payments; online retailers and large retailers; as well as local distributers to minimize the cash carried in trunks.

Limitations of M-PESA:

a) M-PESA lacks IT integration and a business is required to import the transactions in Excel, which is limiting and not very secure;

b) Instant payment notification is not seen as sufficiently reliable;

c) Cumbersome bank settlements – it takes about 4 days to clear the money from corporate M-PESA (mobile wallet) to the bank account;

d) M-PESA is not sufficiently flexible/automated. The process is largely manual.

Given the challenges stated, businesses also complained that they had numerous other challenges that made it difficult to implement it in a business setting:

a) People reporting false payment resulting in a reversal of transaction after making purchases;

b) Customers sending fake SMS pretending they are legitimate transactions;

c) When customers make payment through M-PESA instead of cash, the number of fraudsters increased who areable to gain access to the business phone number.

Developers have the opportunity to develop software solutions that could fill the gap where M-PESA and similar mobile payment solutions have failed to bridge the gap in order to encourage more businesses to deploy the use of mobile money accounts. Some of the gaps that are opportunities for developers to solve include:

a) Businesses could avoid payment to wrong numbers using a system that could support incorporating cheque digits when making a payment through mobile money;

b) A follow-up system for paper receipts for clients when they make a payment using mobile money;

c) More applications that enable easy sweeping of funds between mobile money and bank accounts;

d) Integrated pay and receive functionality that could reduce the dispute resolution process in the cases of reversal of payments.

The full research document from can be found in the FSD Insights issue 04 -2012 on their website (http://www.fsdkenya.org).

By: Anne Salim

23-04-2012

iHub iHub-Research

Practical Research, Design Workshop by Adam White at the iHub Research

‘ What factors should you consider when designing a future sustainable model for a client need? ‘

Adam White of Groupshot (http://www.groupshot.org)and Daniel Jung of Kiva co-led a design workshop hosted at the iHub Research on Thursday, 19 April 2012. Participants were tasked with solving a case study for Kiva (www.kiva.org) on the challenge of direct loan repayment. For a number of reasons, borrowers do not always repay their micro-loans. Likewise scaling and improving the quality and amount of loans is traditionally very challenging and time-intensive.

The workshop aimed to be very hands-on and offered participants a chance to conduct practical research. After being divided into teams, the participants were asked to identify new concepts that would improve the loan repayment rate on a microloan. The format of the workshop was designed to force innovative thinking that was grounded in a specific context, while questioning the assumption and ability of technology. The workshop introduced the following to participants:

- Introduction to the design process

- Introduction to the Kiva challenges (Kiva was the client in the case study)

- Research design and Process

- Brainstorming and Development

- Group work and Concept Finalization

According to the research agenda,the researcher requires a background on the problem, an understanding of the Kivaoperations and needs, in-house research with the users the Kiva system to know what their experience has been after accessing micro- loans, field research to try and understand what other users would require to use the existing system, identifying new methods if the existing ones were not sufficient, and finally a design of a prototype solution based on the findings.

The participants listened to trustees who have worked with Kiva in the microloan disbursement, entrepreneurs who have received loans from Kiva, and then interviewed grocers and vendors in a nearby market to see what methods grocers and vendorsare currently employing when they need a loan, and some of the challenges faced. At the end of the workshop, several suggestions for new models to be tested were presented to the KIVA team.

For more information on this project, feel free to contact anne@ihub.co.ke

By: Tosh

20-04-2012

iHub Members

iHub Green Members show and tell

Early this year, the iHub Advisory Board met with the iHub managers to discuss the future direction of the space and what our focus should be for the coming year.

One key takeaway from this meeting was the need for the advisors, community and the iHub team to understand more on what the green members are doing.

To this end, We resolved to put together a schedule for each of the 250 green members to do a 5-minute presentation, followed by a 5-min Q&A. This will be done by a quorum of the iHub Advisory Board, as they’re the ones who make the final decision on who gets and retains membership. It will also be in front of the other community members who would like to attend so that there is a better understanding in the community of what each of us do.

Every fortnight, we will have only 6 presentations from the green members. You can begin booking your slot for the 5-minute presentations that will happen biweekly, every second Monday evening from 6pm to 7pm by making an appointment on this calendar. In addition to making the reservation, please download a light template here that you will use for your presentation.

The first show and tell will happen on Monday the 30th of April

You aren’t required to give up competitive details, this is more for you to give the iHub advisory board and the community an overview of what you’re working on, how the iHub is helping with that, and where the gaps are that you need assistance.

Kindly note that all green members are required to do these presentations. The green memberships will be reviewed in the next few months so if you don’t do this, you will lose your green membership.