Weekly Review August 4-10

The startup tech scene in Nairobi continues to impress us with its growth and potential. Big names like Google and Chelsea Clinton are collaborating with key players in the Nairobi technology ecosystem. Continue reading to check out this week’s articles on East Africa’s technology hub.

Nairobi Skyline

Kenyan accelerator 88mph puts its foot on the gas with Google for pan-African expansion” by Jamillah Knowles on The Next Web
Our friends at 88mph, the accelerator behind the shared office space and our Nairobi base The Startup Garage, have partnered with Google . Together, they’re working to expand the 88mph accelerator model across Africa, along with the mentoring, legal, IP advice, and technical workshops that come with it. The expansion starts with an initial launch in Cape Town with a goal to set up in West African in 2013.

Crowdsourcing an Application Repository” by Rhoda Omenya, Anne Salim, and Albert Otieno on iHub Research Blog
The research team at iHub, the de facto center of Nairobi’s tech community, is often the first to hear about applications in development for Kenyans, by Kenyans. To help developers, iHub research is putting together an application repository to serve as a central reference point. Developers can refer to it to see what applications are already in development and where there is a gap. For example, 34% of apps in the repository are based on water management, but only 3% address natural disaster preparedness. Kenyan consumers can also see what’s available to use.  If you’re a developer, be sure to let iHub research know so your app will be included in the repository.

Nairobi Startup Nights Are Here” by Nick Sowden on iHub Blog
Nairobi incubators and fellow investors are coming together for monthly pitch sessions – a fun way to support Nairobi startups. Every month, five startups will have the opportunity to pitch in a friendly environment and network with students, advisors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders interested in the space. The first Nairobi Startup Night will be on August 15th, 6:30pm at iHub and Invested Development will be there!

Cell phones could ‘completely change the livelihood of many Kenyans’” by Chelsea Clinton on NBC World News
After her recent visit to Nairobi, Chelsea Clinton has discovered that there’s a lot more to Kenya than Olympic runners. From the innovation spurred by M-PESA to Kenya’s open data initiative, a Silicon Valley in the Savannah is a very real possibility. Clinton was particularly impressed by the technological collaboration between government and citizens. Kenyans’ willingness and eagerness to leverage data and technology to create greater transparency is what will allow the nation to remain at the forefront of Africa’s emerging economies.

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