iRise is set to launch this month as a community-based innovation hub for all Somalian entrepreneurs, innovators, developers, and investors.
These groups will be able to meet with the purpose of sharing their ideas, establishing their networks, and collaborating. Somalian startup iRise’s main priority will be on research.
The hub will offer helpful services such as consultancy which will include helping the government, donors, and aid agencies make better decisions by improving their data system quality through technology.
The hub will also provide incubation and acceleration services that will support fresh startups and entrepreneurs with proper training. The goal of these services is to bring out the full potential of these aspiring startups and help them reach their fullest potential.
The incubation services that the hub provides focuses on sectors like agriculture, fishing, education, and ICT technology, with the hopes of fueling Somalia’s economic growth.
The co-founder and CEO of iRise, Awil Osman, said, “Our mission is to nurture and bring together the tech talent in Mogadishu and inspire them to create local solutions for local problems. On the other hand, we will also increase the competence of the local workforce by training and offering alternative solutions.”
In partnership with the Work in Progress! Alliance and VC4AFRICA, the accelerator is 12 weeks long and serves as an initiative of Innovate Ventures. The accelerator will provide startups with intense training and mentoring on important topics such as business and operational skills.
Participants will also have access to leading telecoms and banks. At the end of the program, participants will be able to pitch their businesses in front of local and international investors for a chance to be funded.