As leading Harvard Professor, Michael Porter, once said: “
Innovation is the central issue to economic prosperity.”
At Microsoft we couldn’t agree more, which is why one of our goals is
to empower Africans to make the most of, and monetize their own business
ideas. There is certainly no shortage of brilliant ideas on the
continent, but no matter how bright they burn, they require time,
investment, and the right tools to become a blazing, fully-fledged
business.
This is why we are so excited to announce that
Microsoft’s Ventures partnership program
is expanding into Africa, starting in Kenya. Microsoft Ventures was
created to give startups a leg-up by providing access to tools,
technology and training. Kenya is quickly being recognised as an
innovation hub, particularly in the mobility space. It’s been
reported that there are 74 mobile phones for every 100 Kenyans and, of those who access the internet, 99% do it via a mobile device.
Expanded to Africa as part of our
4Afrika Initiative,
Microsoft Ventures speaks to our belief that technology can accelerate
growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the
world. Around the world, Microsoft Ventures selects strategic
accelerator partners in each region to provide local market expertise.
For our venture into Kenya, we’ve selected
88mph
for its proven track record in helping local entrepreneurs turn ideas
into thriving businesses. Since opening up in July 2011 the company has
already graduated 32 startups. That equals nearly one success story for
every month they’ve been in operation!
One of my favourite stories and a prime example of what we hope to achieve with this partnership, is a company called
Gamsole,
started by Nigeria’s own Abiola Olaniram. Abiola had a vision of
creating his own tech company, capitalising on the growing mobile space
and people’s love of entertainment in Africa and all over the world.
Funded by 88mph and Microsoft’s
BizSpark program,
he started developing Windows Games and is now the highest paid Windows
game developer in Africa, with over 1.5 million downloads. This is
just one example. You can read about dozens more on the
Microsoft Ventures website.
We want to remove as many barriers as we
can to enabling a startup to thrive. The program is simple: those who
are interested can apply to an immersive 3-6 month
accelerator
program. The only requirements are a full-time founding team and less
than $1 million raised. Qualifying companies will have access to
mentors, technical and design experts, development tools and key
resources.
Ultimately, we want to see a thriving
African startup ecosystem contributing to Africa’s economic development
and competitiveness on a global scale. We feel strongly that by
partnering with 88mph we are helping to pave the way to a better,
stronger future.
By Amrote Abdella, Director 4Afrika Venture Capital and Startup Programs
