Appfrica Explained

Appfrica
Industry:Business incubator
Predecessors:-->
Successors:-->
Founded:2008[1]
Founder:Jon Gosier
Hq Location City:Kampala, Uganda
Areas Served:-->
Owners:-->

Appfrica (sometimes referred to as Appfrica Labs) is a market research and technology firm founded by current CEO Jon Gosier[2] in 2008 in Kampala, Uganda.[3] The firm has been responsible for a number of technology initiatives responsible for promoting Africa's technology sector including HiveColab, Apps4Africa,[4] HiveColab, QuestionBox[5] [6] and for helping Google Africa translate its page for Ugandan audiences.[7]

Appfrica helps multinational firms do business in African markets by helping them understand consumer behavior, find local partners, and hire local talent.

Incubation, Apps4Africa, and HiveColab

Appfrica is one of the oldest technology incubators in Africa, founded in 2008.[8] In 2010 Africa spun out its incubation services into two new initiatives Apps4Africa and HiveColab. Apps4Africa began as a series of competitions that were launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. Later Apps4Africa announced an Acceleration program for African tech startups. HiveColab was founded as a free collaborative workspace in Kampala, Uganda that helped African technologists learn about tech and entrepreneurship. HiveColab is funded by Appfrica, IndigoTrust, and Hivos.

Open Data and Statfrica

In 2013 Appfrica turned much of the research it has collected about Africa into Statfrica.com an online repository of information and open data for businesses, researchers and students.[9] [10]

Notes and References

  1. News: Zouhali-Worrall. Malika. Building tech companies in the land of dialup. 30 August 2017. CNN Money. 16 April 2017.
  2. Web site: An Interview with Appfrica Founder Jon Gosier.
  3. Web site: Uniting a diaspora is, by its very nature, a big challenge..
  4. Web site: Creators of "Apps 4 Africa" Contest Discuss the Ideas Behind It.
  5. Web site: Fellows Friday with Rose Shuman.
  6. News: Gunn. Dwyer. African Entrepreneurs. 14 October 2013. Freakonomics. 9 August 2009.
  7. Web site: Bridging the Communication Gap in Uganda: Appfrica Labs.
  8. News: Fellows Friday with Jon Gosier.
  9. Web site: Market Research Firm Appfrica Introduces Statfrica, An Open Data Repository About Africa. TechLoy. 14 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131017002504/http://techloy.com/2013/09/27/statfrica/. 17 October 2013. dead.
  10. Web site: How Big Data Solves the Toughest of Africa’s Problems: Q&A with Appfrica Founder Jon Gosier.