East Africa / 
Somalia / Mogadishu - Tech Hubs
SIMAD iLab
At SIMAD iLab, we help make a positive impact on Somalia and the world through entrepreneurship and our extensive startup ecosystem. Our “A” team is proactively engaged in startups’ journey from inception to exit, to empower and enable founders to contribute to a better Somalia. <p></p> We reach our goals by working together, sharing success and failures, and inspiring a culture driven by unlimited ambition. We’re an impact-driven innovation hub from the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. <p></p> Mentorship<br> SIMAD iLab hosts regular workshops on business idea ideation & teamwork (a business idea or team not required!). Come and get: <br> - Introduction and sneak peek into SIMAD iLab’s services, programs and office spaces. <br> - Friday afternoon drinks with SIMAD iLab network including fellow entrepreneurs, our startup,s and the SIMAD iLab “A” team. <br> - The tools, knowledge, and connections to find your co-founder or newest team member. <br> - Free participation, but registration is necessary as we will select participants based on best potential matches. <p></p> Incubation<br> We admit idea-stage startups and help them grow with us. <br><br> <mark>You have a clear business idea and technology, now it’s time to validate and find your market! At the end of the program, you found your problem-solution fit and started building your team. You will acquire the right skills, receive an extensive toolset, validate your business idea, and talk to many customers, whilst learning about different aspects of your business, e.g. legal, funding, and team. We offer custom Validation Labs per focus area, with each its own ecosystem of mentors and partners to help you maximize your success.</mark> <p></p> Acceleration <br> We help micro-businesses get scaled up. <br><br> Strengthen the foundation of your startup and accelerate traction in the market. You have founded a tech startup, built a prototype or MVP and have some initial traction in the marketNow it’s time to strengthen the foundation and accelerate traction. We’ll help you to focus on the essential next steps to build a company with a scalable, profitable, and repeatable business model. After the kick-off weeks, you can join tailored workshops, masterclasses, and 1-on-1 expert sessions on topics such as personal & team development, strategy, marketing & sales, finance & funding, legal & IP, and HR. As an SIMAD ILab startup, you will have regular check-ins with experienced serial entrepreneurs and ongoing access to our services.
iRise
iRise is the first innovation and technology hub that is launched in Mogadishu with the aim of unlocking the potential of Somalia’s talents and accelerating changes and economic development. Since its inception in 2017, iRise has become a thriving community, a launching pad for new ideas, a place for civic and social entrepreneurs – and a home for digital doers. In fact, our founders envisioned <mark>space and enabling environment where techies, innovators, digital-doers, and investors can connect and co-create a sustainable ecosystem for Somalia and beyond.</mark> Our founding vision was to help social entrepreneurs to hack innovative solutions to Somali’s challenges. <p></p>iRise has a vibrant, dynamic and dedicated team that has deep passion and drive for thinking outside-the-box and believes in technology and innovation. <p></p><mark>We believe Somalia is at cusp of major transformation. That transformation will come from, in part, how we address our interconnected challenges and, in other part, how we drive innovation and technology to translate these challenges into opportunity.</mak>